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Remembering Former
PAA President George
Christopher Chryssis
Photos Courtesy Chryssis Family
T
hese few pages can’t begin to scratch the surface of
this multitalented businessman, author, poet, entrepreneur, inventor, publisher, philanthropist and family
man. This is simply an attempt to celebrate the life of a
brilliant star, George C. Chryssis.
It was the summer of 1995 in Modesto, Calif., and
George Chryssis had just been elected president of
the Pancretan Association of America. George had announced weeks earlier that he was a candidate for the
top post of the PAA, and when all the votes were counted, he was the clear winner. With his signature smile of
achievement, George humbly thanked his fellow members for his success.
George ascended through the hierarchy of the PAA
rather quickly, having served as a member of the board
on Rathamanthus Ide, his local chapter, and later as
District 1 governor. He was different from his predecessors in many ways. His disarming smile could calm the
most forceful opponent. Without raising his voice, he
captivated his audience with his calm, soothing tone. He
could present his point of view in a very eloquent and
aristocratic way, but most importantly he spoke through
his actions. A new force just arrived on the PAA horizon,
but his journey had not been easy.
It began many years ago as the old truck was climbing the narrow winding roads that connect the villages
in the Chania prefecture of Crete. It was loaded with the
day’s catch fresh from the port—a wide variety of fish
that had to be delivered by the day’s end since refrigeration had not yet arrived to these almost forgotten villages. Life in Crete in the 1950s was an everyday struggle.
The country had just emerged from a devastating war
COVER STORY
A Brilliant Star
DEMITRIS HATZIS
and everyone had to do whatever they could to earn
a living, so the truck driver went from village to village delivering fish. This driver’s precious cargo however was not the load of smelts and sardines; it was a
young boy perched on the front seat with a book in
his hands, eager to help his father on his daily route.
George was the eldest child of Christoforos Chryssis, from the village of Kalyves and Ourania, Kamisakis of Ntere. He was born in the small village of
Ntere—he was actually born in the village schoolhouse. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come since
most of his life was associated with centers of learning. Books provided George with a window to the rest
of the world and his mind traveled freely to faraway
lands. He spent most of his life in the city of Chania,
where his family resided, and was one of the few who
could speak English at that time. As it turned out,
speaking English was a very valuable asset. During
the filming of “Zorba the Greek” he served as the unofficial translator to the English speaking crew. Perhaps it was this particular instance that made George
dream of a better life in America. Years later he had
the opportunity to meet Anthony Quinn and the
American crew who had stayed at a small inn at the
end of his street.
His aunt, Helen Vardalas, from Somerville, Mass.,
knew how passionate George was about coming to
America to expand his education, so she sent him
some college information. Shortly after graduation
from gymnasio, he arrived in Boston with his heart
full of dreams and his mind full of determination.
George proved to be an exceptional student and his
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