Andreas Iliopoulos (in memoriam)
Andreas Iliopoulos (in memoriam)
Written by Thursday, 28 April 2005 00:00
We met Andreas as a fellow hobbyist; he became an incessant source of energy and inspiration for us all. He joined MCH initially as a contributor but it soon became apparent he was way more than that. To him we owe a number of important contributions, loads of material to support a thorough Mediterranean section and the only consistent attempt ever made to translate the site in another language; Andreas insisted that it should be accessible by all the non-English speaking Greek aquarists.
Along the way we became close friends. It was impossible not be Andreas' friend once you met him. He stood by us and we stood by him for five wonderful years during which he achieved so much for the hobby and others and so little for himself. That was so typical of him, always to offer, always to support.
And then, all of a sudden, disaster!! An awful accident, beyond comprehension, took away a wonderful person, a true friend, an accomplished hobbyist. We said farewell to Andreas as family ...
For some people it is just too hard to say anything. Not because you have nothing to say, on the contrary, it is because you have too many things to say but words just don't come easily. It would be easy to tell you what a nice guy he was, how smart, knowledgeable, skilful and so many other things. There were also negatives about him, yes, he was short fused and persisting, to name just two. But he was the hell of a friend. He was ready to give you everything if you just showed him that you really cared about him. I named him the "shorty with the glasses" and he would always come back with his humorous "niah niah niah" response. His whole life was devoted to nature and aquatic life in particular. He could spend hours and days discussing his new plans, his agony about the environment, his expectations for other hobbyists, his new article, the new underwater photo which was perfect.. He could also discuss philosophical issues, literature, history, politics. This was him in a nutshell. An idealist living in a world without ideals. His main concern was to find ways to improve the level of fish keeping as a hobby, in Greece. He was the first to come up with the idea of a "Greek Aquarist" club,something he discussed in detail with Frank during his visit in Greece, back in 2002. This club finally came true although it had nothing to do with what Andreas and many others had dreamed of. He had a strong opinion and would standby it. His strong criticism for this club and the way it was heading won him a lawsuit by the short sighted, chair addicted people who now run it. This came in the worst possible moment as he was facing serious problems with his professional activities.. bad timing, I guess.
He was the mentor to many hobbyists in Greece, me included. Before meeting him I was just another hobbyist. After that point I became a far better one.
And now, there is only sorrow. He is not among us any more. He has gone to another place where he is respected for what he is, no more no less. He isnot law suited by some short sighted people just because he said his opinion,whichever that was. He can talk about his fishes and everybody will admire his last photo, which is - naturally - perfect. He can finish his monstrous work on which he had spent the last 3 years of his life.. a complete guide to all the marine fishes endemic in Greece.I have his "last version" on a CD next to me. Sorry, Andreas, I can't finish it myself. Perhaps you can do it there.
I feel sorry. For all the things that I wanted to tell him but I didn't find the courage to. For all the quarrels we had about MCH. For not doing more for him - a lot more. I already miss him - without him nothing will be the same.
George J. Reclos, Greece
Andreas,
We "met" over the internet, possibly before the EAC group started, and -as time passed away - I started to considerYou a Friend, and a very good one ... while trying to find out who was actually "hiding" behind your nickname. Time passed ... MCH kept growing and your input wasalways of extreme interest while your enormous effort to translate it into Greek will keep your mark on MCHfor the years to come...
Then arrived the time for the actual meeting, it was the summer in Syros: the chats, the scuba, the hours spent in your house, enjoying your warm friendship and the excellent foodyou cooked us were all strong, unforgettable,moments.
Regrettably - as with good things - our stay in Syros ended up, butthese days are -and will be -one of my most precious treasures in the years to come ...
We (Stefania, Leonardo and me) share the pain of Popi and your friends. Having missed You is the high price wehave to pay for being human beings living on this earth.
I miss the Man, the Friend and the clever aquarist You were ... now and forever.
Your sad Italian MCH team mates
Francesco, Stefania and Leonardo, Italy
Dear Andreas,
It feels very sad to say goodbye to you. We knew each other from the early days of MCH through the email and the EAC list. We've met personally in
You will be missed, and MCH will never be the same again without you. Your enormous work on the Mediterranean fauna and Greek translations for MCH were,and still are, very impressive and deserve much respect making it our duty to preserve these data. All my thoughts are also with your partner Popi who I regrettably never met, and most of all, your dearest friend George to whom I wish to offer my humble support for dealing with losing you way too soon.
A very sad co-author Frank,
Frank Panis, Belgium
Andreas was the first serious man with whom we ever talked about aquariums in Greece.Following the 8 years that I have known him I can tell you that Andreas was aman who was willing to share every bit of knowledge he possessed, a very proudman, with principles and ideals, steady as a rock to what he believed. He wassmall in the body but a giant in soul. He was the best, most loyal frienda man can find, a true privilege for me to be regarded as his friend. I believethat this was a tragic loss for the hobby in Greece as well as for his friends.His whole life was not a bed of roses, on the contrary. He suffered a lot and he had to fight a lot, but always bravely, with pride and dignity. I hope, ifthere is an after life, that he will get some peace and he will be allowed - atlast - to relax and have some joy.
Farewell Andreas, from the "kid" as you used to call me. Rest assured that I will never forget you.
John G. Reclos, Greece
Andreas Iliopoulos... What should be, what might be, what could be the soul of the Greek part of the hobby. Instead, much inferior people are known as such... Never mind, as it is an elemental part of being Greek, one might say...
Thanassis Moschou, Greece
I looked back over my saved correspondence with him. Most EAC mails I delete, but I have no fewer than 63 messages either to him, or (the larger number by far) from him. Some are his personal messages to me, as we corresponded about the proposed layout for my garage fish room(Andreas clearly devoted a lot of time and thought to designing, just for my garage, an optimum small fish room - what a generous thing to do!), or about his article on pronouncing scientific names. Most are his posts to EAC, a large number of which I clearly felt should be saved because of the valuable information or insights they contain. Sorry I never had the opportunity to meet Andreas in person. It was a privilege to know him a little by email. I am sorry for his family, and sorry for you for losing such a friend.
Sadly,
Michael K. Oliver, USA
I never met Andreas in person. I used to wonder if perhaps the friends that I made on-line were different in some way from the friends that I can see and touch. I thought that maybe that diminished emotion and made the relationship less personal. I am now very sure that that is not the case.
It has been a while since I last talked to Andreas, and I wish I had sent him an email more recently just to see how he was doing and to let him know that I still considered him a friend. There were times that I felt very close to Andreas. He was an incredibly sensitive man who was deeply affected by the emotions of others. He was also a deeply thoughtful man, who seemed to always carefully consider any issue before he responded to it. I am saddened that there will be no more opportunities to share the thoughts and views that we had in common, even though we lived on different continents.
There were times that I argued with Andreas…. very vehemently. There were times he flat out made me angry. However, I always admired his passion and the passion that he could inspire in others. Yes, he was stubborn, and yes, he was volatile, but he was a man of conviction. The same thoughtfulness and sensitivity that made him a good friend also made him be very affected by injustice and cruelty in the world. He stood by what he believed and felt no matter what anyone else thought of it. I am saddened that there will be no more of these spirited arguments.
Andreas made life a little more interesting. Anyone who had contact with him could see that he was a bit “different”…. a unique spirit that was not without personal demons, but also not without great compassion and kindness. He will be missed. I was lucky to have known him.
Carli Debusk, TN, USA
What a shock! I have several of Andreas' replies to my, and other aquarist's questions, saved in a folder for future reference. He always gave thoughtful, and insightful, replies and comments.
I feel particularly bad for his family and those who knew him personally.
Thank you for letting us know!
Chris Schaaf
George!!! Oh my God, how terrible ! I can't believe he's gone ! His wit and charm,his love for the fish, what a loss for all of us ! I am so very sad and full of sorrow for this news that our Andreas is gone. All this time that has gone bythat I have kept quiet on these lists is my loss for time I lost chatting with such a joyful friend who is now gone. I can't begin to say how sorry I am andplease accept my condolences to all of you on the other side of the water. I have no idea who you mean made his life more miserable, bit I canonly imagine that they are people who are evil and I don't do evil.
Bless you, George, you were and are still his good friend.
Kate Buchard, USA
I was gladly surprised finding an hellenic site regarding malawi cichlids on the exact time that I'm starting a tank with pseudotropheus acei. This feeling though is lessened by the news of the loss of a man whose name I've encountered many times while browsing the internet for information. Please allow me to say that a life lived with passion is always a life well and fully lived no matter how the end comes. Dear sir, if you find it appropriate, please give my condolences to his family and if you wish so please feel free to quote me in his memorial page.
Dimitris Kaioglou, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Many thanks to Ron Coleman, Patrick de Rham and Juan-Miguel Artigas Azas for their messages.
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