IN MEMORIAM

DEMETRIOS AFXENTIOU ZEMENIDES

1942-2020

Demetri Zemenides, son of Afxentios and

Panagiota, was a son of Cyprus. Originally
from Komi Kebir, a beautiful village in the
Peninsula of Karpasia, under illegal
military occupation by Turkey since 1974,
Demetri joined the EOKA struggle
liberation at the tender age of 14. After
fighting in the successful anti-colonial
liberation struggle (for which the
Republic of Cyprus honored him in 2002),
he pursued architecture studies first in
Greece and then in the United States of
America.
He met his wife Irene – who came from
Filiatra, Greece – when they studied
together at the University of Illinois at
the Chicago School of Architecture.
Beyond his studies, he carried out his own
“good trouble” as an anti-junta student
activist, and he bought a small grocery
store with another Cypriot student. He
would go to the fruit market before
classes would start, would go to school,
and then would run the grocery store
studying behind the counter after school.
He and Irene married, and their eldest
son – Endy (Afxendys) – was born in early
1973.
By mid-1973 they had moved to Cyprus.
Demetri and Irene started building a
great life in Cyprus – both working as
architects and expecting their second
child – when the terrible events of July
1974 interrupted that life. Demetri was
almost killed in the coup by the Greek
junta against the elected president of
Cyprus on 1the 15th of the month, And
when Turkey illegally, massively and
brutally invaded Cyprus on July 20th,
1974, he put his whole life – his pregnant
wife and his son Endy – on a boat that was
evacuating people from Cyprus, put on his
National Guard officer's uniform and
went to battle to defend Cyprus against
the Turkish invaders. After several
months, and the birth of his second son
Foti, Demetri managed to be reunited
with his family in Chicago.

Demetri would rebuild his professional

and family life in Chicago successfully,
raising three sons and having a successful
career as an architect. He rose to
become the chief architectural examiner
for the great City of Chicago and then
built a

successful private architectural practice

with his wife Irene.

His commitment to Cyprus and Hellenism

was a great constant in his life. He made
sure that his fight would continue past
him. He taught his sons to love public
affairs, to love Greece and Cyprus, to
love Greek music, especially Mikis
Theodorakis, to love life. He taught them
that action meant more than words and
that you sacrifice for what you have a
passion for. As a result, the fight for
Cyprus has been a big part of the lives of
Demetri’s sons. All have participated in
the PSEKA Conference, Foti worked with
the late Andy Athens at UHAC, and Endy
has turned his father’s passions into a
full-time vocation as the Executive
Director of the dynamic Hellenic
American Leadership Council (HALC).

Demetri is survived by his wife Irene, his

sons Endy, Foti and Peter, daughters in
law Vicky, Joanne, grandchildren Demetri,
George, Irini and Demetri, and in Cyprus
by his brother Sozos, his sisters Alkisti
and Maro and many loving nephews and
nieces.

Most importantly, Demetri’s passionate

struggle for freedom and justice survives
through his children, who have followed
their father’s magnificent example and
instilled the same passion in his
grandchildren.

Demetri passed away on 6 August 2020,

surrounded by his loving family, in
Chicago, Illinois, the USA, where he lived
the American dream while remaining true
to the ideals of his Cypriot roots and his
Hellenic heritage.

FUNERAL

The funeral for Demetri Zemenides will

take place on Wednesday, June 12 at
10:00 a.m. central time in the Chicago
area and will be live-streamed from St.
Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church in
Niles, Illinois. Due to COVID
restrictions, the funeral is for family
only.

In lieu of flowers and wreaths, people

can make donations in honor of Demetri
to Project HOPE (a project of the Greek
Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago to feed
the hungry). Donations can be sent to:
Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago

555 E. Butterfield Road, Suite 201

Lombard, Illinois, 60148

USA

OR

The Hellenic American Leadership

Council’s Beirut Relief Fund

Donations can be sent to:

Hellenic American Leadership Council

22 W. Washington, Suite 1500

Chicago, IL 60602

USA

Those who wish to make donations

online can do so at:
https://www.hellenicleaders.com/Beirutr
elieffund

MAY DEMETRI ZEMENIDES REST IN

PEACE AND

HIS MEMORY BE ETERNAL!