Benefactors & Donators

Mimis and Vassilis Golemis were born in Lefkada and were merchants of olive oil and wine products, which they were mainly exporting to Italy and Austria-Hungary (Trieste and Vienna).

They played an important role in the Lefkadian society and they became known for their donations as well as beneficences. It is said that their house used to be a shelter for the unprivileged.

The main figure was Mimis. He was the father of: Andreas Golemis, admiral, Vassilis, naval officer, Panos, an excellent navigator and Giannis Golemis, senior official of the Social Security Foundation (IKA). Vassilis died in Athens. In 1896 they donated uniforms to the Philharmonic Society, which were considered to be the most beautiful and impressive that a Greek band could have. The uniforms had been ordered in Trieste (or even Vienna) and were preserved until 1926. Their names were inscribed on the honorary plaque for the benefactors of the Philharmonic Society years after and specifically after the end of World War I.

He was a merchant. He was a member of the Philharmonic Society Board from 1913 to 1931.  

He was declared benefactor of FEL in 1922 after contributing, along with other benefactors, for the purchase of 100 cinema seats for the theater of FEL.

Anastasios (Tasos) Kopsidas was born in 1932 and passed away in 2018. Not only was he a great musician and tutor but a great benefactor of the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada as well, since he left his house to FEL.

He was the first to found a bandina (a band of 28 young musicians) which performed for the first time on August 14, 1977 accompanying the majorettes group during the International Folklore Festival in France.

Son of Petros N. Stamatopoulos, knight of the Order of the Redeemer and wheat merchant from Russia.

He followed in his father’s footsteps running their trading company along with his brother Epaminondas. Epaminondas ran once for mayor against Panos Bogdanos. Due, however, to an unfortunate incident he was forced to withdraw his candidature and -embittered- he moved to Corfu.

They were a very modest family of philanthropists and all those working with or for them had nothing but good words to say about them. In 1922 when the Gymnasium (high school) of Lefkada was requisitioned for the housing of the refugees from Asia Minor, Andreas Stamatopoulos offered his house, so that the students could go on with their lessons.

He was declared benefactor of the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada on July 2 1894, for offering 150 drachmas in a fund-raiser for the purchase of uniforms. On that same occasion his brother Epaminondas donated 50 drachmas. The latter was also treasurer of the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada. Their uncle, Spyros Stamatopoulos, donated 50 drachmas as well.

He was the son of Panos and Sofia Filippas and he was born in Lefkada in1905.

He was a FEL student and so were his brothers, Dimitris (violin), Nikos (flute, mandolin), Spyros (mandolin, guitar), Giannis (guitar), his sister Koula (mandolin) and Alexandris (flute, guitar).

He graduated from the Music Lyceum of Athens and the Athens Conservatoire.

He founded the Mandolinata of Athens and the Choir, the Music Department of the Fertilizer Company (Etaireia Lipasmaton) as well as the Music Department of the Workers’ House (Ergatiki Estia).

He is the author of the two-volume work “Filarmoniki Lefkados (Istoriki Poreia 135 xronon)” (Etaireia Lefkadikon Meleton, Athens 1985)

He was declared benefactor on May 23 1956, for he donated the flute of his brother as well as other music items to FEL in memory of his brother Alexandris (who was advisor of FEL during 1921-1923). Moreover he is mentioned in the records of April 28 1957 as “donator, co-citizen and excellent musician” for his services to FEL and the donation of a repaired euphonium (this is also mentioned in the newspaper VIMA tis Lefkadas on May 17 1957).

The march of the repertoire Daphnes Myrties is one of his compositions dedicated to the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada.

He was born on November 14 1914 in Lefkada. He was the son of Eustathios Tzevelekis and Eugenia Sumien (French).

Both he and his father were honorary consuls of the French consulate in Lefkada. Lisa Tzeveleki, his daughter, inherited the title, until the consulate on the island closed.

He was brought up in an upper-class environment and he completed his elementary education through home schooling. He moved on with his secondary education at the Leonteios School in Athens. He didn’t carry on with his studies. However, he could speak French and English fluently.

He returned to Lefkada where he ran the shipping agency of his father. However, the declining course of the Lefkadian port after the German occupation forced him to relocate to Eleusina until 1953-54.

He stopped working as shipping agent the moment he decided to devote himself body and soul to his great idea which was no other than the promotion of Lefkada as an island of great cultural as well as spiritual legacy. It was that dream that absorbed him and his family and filled his life with the idea of a re-born Lefkada.

He got married to Eleni, née Koumakis, born in Constantinople, in 1946.  A woman with a strong personality, she did not hesitate to share her husband’s vision and his affection for Lefkada. Eleni was a great woman. She was an eloquent speaker of the Greek language but she was also fluent in French, English, Italian and German. She was also a writer and a poet. She graduated from the tour guide school. She worked successfully as a tour guide. Their daughter, Lisa Tzeveleki, is married to Dionisis Tzevelekis and is also a guide.

In 1952 Antonios Tzevelekis was elected chairman of the Association of Lefkadians of Attica Aghia Maura, which, during the period 1952 – 1967 with him being chairman, begins a new course. He published the monthly magazine “Deltion pliroforion kai pnevmatikis epikoinonias Lefkadion”.

In 1954 the Association approved of his proposal to organize on Lefkada the Speech and Arts Festival.

Along with the Association of the Lefkadians in Attica, the Municipality of Lefkada, Orfeas, FEL as well as other social and cultural societies of the island offered their services to this cause.

In 1958 Antonis Tzevelekis founded the Etaireia Lefkadion Thematon (Society for Lefkadian Issues) and issued Lefkaditika, the magazine of the society.

1962 is a mile stone for the “Speech and Arts Festival”, for a new type of festival comes to complete the festivities: the Folklore Festival of Lefkada.

Due to health issues though, 1976-1978 will be the last period during which Antonis Tzevelekis will serve as chairman of the Association.

The “Association of Lefkadians”, held a formal sitting and declared him Honorary Chairman.

The institution of the festivities had already been founded and had taken its course. Antonios Tzevelekis was not restricted by the confines of the Speech and Arts Festival and the Folklore Festival in Lefkada. He also organized a great number of events: conferences, presentations, lectures, soirées, the celebration of Faneromeni in Holargos, Athens, as well as the ball of the association which became tradition for the Association of the Lefkadians in Attica.

Antonis Tzevelekis was one of the few Greeks that were honored by the French Republic with the distinction of the Orders of Arts and Letters.

His health began to deteriorate so he was forced to adapt to the new circumstances.

At the end of February 1989 he suffered a stroke and was transferred to the Pammakaristos Hospital in Athens where he passed away. It was the same hospital where Aggelos Sikelianos had passed away as well.

Antonios Tzevelekis was declared benefactor in 1976.

Born in Lefkada in 1933, Aristeidis Katopodis is the last child of Vassilis Katopodis and a tanner by profession. He graduated the Gymnasium of Lefkada where he received education by the excellent educators Panos Rontogiannis, Nitsa Papadaki, Pantazis Kontomihis, Xenofontas Perdikaris and many others.

He studied at the University of Athens, in the department of Mathematics and Physics, from 1955 to 1960.

As an elected member of the students’ assembly of his faculty he took part in the struggle of the students for the improvement of the educational system and for the students’ reduced ticket.

He has worked as a high school teacher.

He has offered a lot as chairman of the Public Library of Lefkada and by actively participating in the cinema club of Lefkada for a decade.

He is an amateur painter and he has participated in a lot of collective exhibitions.

He is a classical music enthusiast, avid reader, amateur fisherman and a great friend of humor!

(1845-1926*) He was the descendant of a noble family of wheat merchants from Russia.

His first wife was Chrysoula – Victoria Giorgi Kalkani and his second wife was Euridice Vas. Damiri from Corfu, mother of the famous Lefkadian historian Konstantinos G. Mahairas.

He had been Member of Parliament for Corfu (for the province of Lefkada) from 1875. He also participated in the 7th Hellenic Parliament from July 18, 1875 to July 17, 1879.

He also served as mayor of Lefkada in 1891 and 1899. He is considered to have been a very successful mayor since he cared for the cleanliness, the lighting and the green areas of the town.

P. Kouniakis in his book “I nisos Lefkas” (pg. 17) calls him “popular nobleman“:

“The paved central square was embellished through wooden railings on the west side of it, where various flowers were planted after the tearing down of the preexisting stone steps…The waterfront garden of the town was also embellished…The road drains, the aqueduct have been repaired…Urinals have been built in various places ….The small theater of the town has been repaired…”

From 1895 to 1902 he served as chairman and he was also a generous donator to FEL. During his days, a lot of new instruments as well as uniforms and furniture were purchased. As  mayor of Lefkada he donated his salary to the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada. He was also a music enthusiast, he used to play various instruments and he often directed the orchestra. For his warm support towards the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada, Umberto Pergola dedicated to him on 10/09/1895 his composition “Emvatirion Nikis” with the dedication: “To the honorable Georgios Mahairas, Mayor of Lefkada”

His name was inscribed on a honorary plaque after the end of World War I. In 1893 he was honored by the Gold Cross of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph.

In 1926 he was honored with the Gold Cross of the Order of the Redeemer. He served as Consul of Austria.

*In the book of Ant. P. Filippas “Philarmoniki Lefkados– Istoriki Poreia 135 chronon”, Athens 1985, Volume 1, pg. 212, 1922 is mentioned as the year of his death.

He was born on February 17, 1907, in Evgiros. He was the only child of Petros Fatouros and Theodora Spyrou Delaporta/Maniaki. His siblings Dimitrios, Maria, Eleni and Spiridon died while infants.

“In 1907 our son was born, on the 17^th of February, day Saturday at the dawn of that day. He was baptized by Nikolaos Fatouros (not Theodoros) or Butogioni on the 25^th of February carnival day and his name was Dimitrios. He got married on October 16 1922“

With these words Petros Fatouros describes the birth as well as the wedding of his son Dimitris at the age of 15 (!) to Maria, daughter of Aristeidis Spyros Fatouros Georgalakis born in Evgiros in 1904. She passed away in Lefkada on January 22 1985 at the age of 81, after a long-term sickness.

Dimitris (Mitsos) Fatouros was a lawyer and passed away in Ioannina on March 23 1995 at the age of 88. His funeral took place in Lefkada. The cause of death was heart failure due to old age.

He had five children: Eleni, Eriketi, Thrasivoulos, Theodora-Niki (Roula) and Petroula.

Dimitris Fatouros was a socially, professionally as well as culturally active member of the town of Lefkada. He was also a good lawyer, a good father and a very popular person.

He was highly educated: he had a broad education on law, culture, history, politics. Apart from law books he had a library of 2000 books which he had studied in depth.

He published his autobiography “I Zoi mou, Lefkada, 1986” (My life, Lefkada, 1986) and other books.

He was a pupil of the elementary schools in Evgiros, Marantohori and Lefkada. He graduated from the school in Vasiliki (1921-1922) and at the age of 15 he got married.

He attended the Gymnasium of Lefkada and graduated after a four-year period in 1926-1927.

For his offer to the town of Lefkada, the Municipality of Lefkada named the street behind his house after him. It is on the east part of the waterfront of the town of Lefkada.

In 1927 he sat the entrance exams and managed to enroll in the Philosophical School of Athens.

In 1928, due to financial reasons, he enrolled in the School of Law in Athens. Since attendance was not obligatory, he could stay in Evgiros near his old parents, his wife and his three children, where he studied, worked as a farmer and then travel to Athens 2-3 times a year to sit the exams.

In 1933 he obtained his Law Degree.

In 1934 he worked as a trainee at the law office of Anastasios Skiadaresis. He was appointed Lawyer at the Court of First Instance of Lefkada and he was registered as member in the Lawyers’ Association of Lefkada in 1934.

In that same year he moved permanently in the town of Lefkada and opened his law office at the premises of Nikos Grigoris, which he maintained until his retirement on July 1 1975, that is for more than 41 years.

He took on a lot of different positions such as legal assistant of Agrotiki Trapeza in Lefkada, he was manager and legal assistant of the Electricity Company of Lefkada– until 1960 when it was bought off by DEI (Public Company of Electicity) – He was president of KTEL, president of the ice factory, member of the board of the Fund for the Protection of Olive producers, member of the board of the Port Fund, President of the Lawyers’ Association of Lefkada and public lawyer. His great contribution to Lefkada was his involvement in the cultural associations of the island. In 1951 he was elected advisor and in 1952 president of the Music and Literature Association Orfeas.

During his presidency Orfeas organized the first Speech and Arts Festival. Among other events, the director Sokratis Karantinos as well as the actors of the National Theater were invited to put on the play “Foteinos” written by the Lefkadian author and lawyer Nikolaos Katiforis, an adaptation of the homonymous poem of Aristoteles Valaoritis. However, after the reactions of the right wing politicians of the town and the rigid attitude of the lawyer Kostas Serepisos who regarded it as a communistic play, it was never staged, and all preparations were called off, despite the consent of Konstantinos Bleris, prefect of Lefkada, as well as the grandson of Aristoteles Valaoritis. The cancellation of the play, and with it the whole effort of Orpheas, was regarded as an offence and lead to the resignation of all Orpheas board members. After that, new elections took place and Dimitrios Fatouros was reelected as advisor. In 1962 the International Folklore Festival of Lefkada opened its gates due to the inspiration and the creative mind of Antonios Tzevelekis, a friend, associate as well as the best man of Dimitrios Fatouros.

From 1958 to 1964 he served as chairman of the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada. He served the society also as vice president and as Board member. In the Speech and Arts Festival of 1964, during which Maria Callas sang and which Aristoteles Onasis attended, Dimitrios Fatouros was chairman of the executive committee of the festival and he became vice-president in 1965. He was also involved in politics as member of Enosis Kentrou and KODISO and he had many political positions such as president of the committee of the Pandimokratiko Metopo (Pandemocratic Front of Lefkada) (1945) and the Committee for the Republic (1974). During the first elections that were held after the end of the dictatorship era, in 1975, he decided to run for mayor as a non-party candidate. He withdrew his candidature though, when he did not manage to win the support of the other parties. He was declared benefactor of FEL in 1976.

Greek from America, merchant

He was declared benefactor on September 12 1975.

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He was the father of Antonios Tzevelekis.

His family came from Epirus and he was a merchant. He was involved in the shipping of wood, wine and olive oil. He is the first Lefkadian merchant to be mentioned in the “Who is who” of his time.

He was also the representative of the shipping companies «Adriatica» and «Loyd Triestino».

Both he and his father were honorary consuls in the consulate of France in Lefkada. The title passed on to his granddaughter Lisa Tzeveleki until the consulate on the island closed.

His wife was Eugenia Sumien (of French descent).

His house, a two-storey building with neoclassic elements faces the waterfront of Lefkada. In the beginning there was only one storey, the ground floor, which housed the business. In 1914 the house took its final form that we see today. Eugenia Sumien used to call it “the house of the 17 windows”. His involvement in the Philharmonic Society goes back to 1913. In 1920, the Philharmonic Society was housed in one of his buildings (later on property of Eft. and Zaxaroula Mavromati) a good year for the Society since new instruments were purchased as well (Eustathios Tzevelekis was Board member). He was declared benefactor of FEL in 1922, for along with others he contributed -besides his further donations- to the purchase of 100 cinema seats for FEL.

He was born in 1910 and passed away in 1992.

He is considered to be one of the greatest practical jokers of Lefkada. He was the main figure during the great feasts in Pantheon Hall and Carnival. There are a lot of stories with him in the leading role.

He had two sons Giannis and Vaggelis.

He was a member as well as chairman of the town council and chairman of the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada in 1974.

He was declared benefactor of FEL on November 25 1974.

(17th June 1855- 16th March 1914)

Ioannis A. Valaoritis was a lawyer, banker and a fervent enthusiast of music, of the sea, of literature and arts.

He was born in Lefkada and he was the son of the poet Aristotelis Valaoritis and Eloisa-Rosa-Anna Typaldou-Pretenderis, daughter of Emilios Typaldos Pretenderis, professor of maritime law, history and geography at the naval academy in Venice. He attended the Greek Gymnasium of Lefkada (his teachers were Ioannis Stamatelos, Ioannis Klimis and Nicolaos Ιeronymos) and the Gymnasium of Corfu. In 1872 he began his studies at the Law Faculty of the University of Athens. Ηe graduated in 1877. Right after his graduation he returned to Lefkada to take care of family matters and help his sick father. He took part in the armed revolutionary movement for the liberation of Epirus. On September 14 he was appointed by the Ministry of Justice lawyer of the Court of Lefkada. In 1879 he became member of the fraternity of the Municipal Hospital of Lefkada, during the mayoralty of E. Stamatopoulos. In the same year Aristoteles Valaoritis passed away. In 1881 he moved to Athens to pursue a career and worked at the law office of Xenofontas Psarras. At the same time he was working as a journalist and he became correspondent for the London news agency “Center News Agency” in Athens. In 1890 on April 6 he became General Secretary (director of the department) in the National Bank of Greece.

In 1891 he got married to Zoi Mourouzi, daughter of Konstantinos Mourouzis, descendant of a phanariot family and Eleni Mavromihali, granddaughter of Petrobeis. In the same year he participated, along with Xenofontas Psarras, Alk. Krassas, Ioannis Eftaxias, Dionysios Stefanou and Achileas Agathonikos in the committee for the Civil Code. He also took part in the committee for the Ionian Civil Code. His first son, Aristoteles, is born. In 1892 his second son, Konstantinos, was born, the father of Nanos Valaoritis. In 1895 he became vice-chairman of the National Bank and his daughter Eloisia was born.  .  

In 1900 the National Bank of Greece opens a branch in Lefkada, with the support of Ioannis Valaoritis.

In 1901 his mother passed away.

In 1902 his daughter, Eleni, was born, who later became the wife of the politician Filippos Dragoumis and the mother of Markos Dragoumis, musicologist and Zoi Dragoumi, wife of Ioannis Mazarakis. In the same year the Chairman of the National Bank Stefanos Streit, proposed Ioannis Valaoritis as his successor.  

In 1904 he became vice president and in 1906 president of the Greek Red Cross.

In 1908 he was declared benefactor of the association of the Gymnasium of Lefkada.

In 1908 he was declared benefactor of the association of the Gymnasium of Lefkada. In the same year he represented Greece at the conference of the Latin Monetary Union in Paris where he signed the additional monetary agreement among Greece, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland.

In 1910 he was elected MP for Lefkada. On November 4 the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada declared him benefactor for his material as well as moral support. He donated his salary to the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada and to the Monastery of Faneromeni.

In 1911 he succeeded Stefanos Streit as president of the National Bank of Greece.

He was killed on March 16 1914 when the cruise ship “Poseidon” collided with the sailing boat of Leonidas and Mary Empeirikos. All ministers as well as other politicians attended his funeral service.

In 1914 after the decision of the Board committee of FEL a marble plaque with golden letters was enwalled on the building to honor him.

of numerous associations and he was honored with orders and awards such as: The Silver Cross of the Knights of the Order of the Redeemer The Gold Cross of the Order of the Redeemer The Order of the Legion of Honor The Cross of the Commander of the Order of the Redeemer

He wrote many articles, essays and studies some of which are still unpublished. His writings did not only deal with monetary, banking and law issues but also history, philology and literature.

Reference: Ioannis A. Valaoritis 1855-1914 Dioiketes Ethnikes Trapezas tis Ellados 1911-1914, Historic Archive of the National Bank, Athens 2000

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He was born in 1882 in Lefkada, he became a merchant and he passed away in May 1960 in Athens.

He left the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada the bare ownership of a shop in Aghios Minas with usufruct for his wife Theoni I . Soldatou. After her death the shop would pass fully to FEL, on the condition that FEL would pay the church Eisodia tis Theotokou  the rent of two months from that property yearly.

On May 4 1960 the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada declared him grand Benefactor. The Society also decided to inscribe his name with golden letters on the Plaque of Great Benefactors as well as to hang his picture on the conference hall. That decision was also published in the newspapers Vima and Erevna as well as the newspaper Lefkaditika of the Association of the Lefkadians in Athens.

The Onassis Foundation was founded in 1975 by Aristoteles Onassis in memory of his son Alexandros who lost his life during an airplane accident in 1974.

The fundamental principle of the foundation is the human nature, progress, the stories as well as the imprint of the individual within the entity of the urban life.

It’s the words, the creative curiosity, at times torturing at times entertaining, remaining however always creative. It’s the thoughts, the contradictions, and mainly the setting free of possibilities of all those powers, which each of us have and which can be evolved under the right circumstances. Through the individual, their contradictions as well as their adventure an act factory is created, a factory of interventions and ideas that begins from the financial independence and the autonomy of the foundation to reach the three main pillars of action: Culture, Education and Health. These are what a man needs to live not just to survive.

The Onassis Foundation above all is a heterogeneous human ecosystem. A group of different characters, moods, intentions, and talents that brings unexpected encounters of artists, doctors, businessmen, academicians, sailors, philosophers, technocrats and activists that end up to the words that bind them — which are always more than they expected.

He was born in Lefkada but he migrated at a young age into Canada where he started his own business and succeeded in becoming an international gem trader.

His donations for Lefkada are numerous. He donated to the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada 45 new instruments bought in the USA (in particular: 34 instruments in 1976 and 50.000 drachmas for their transportation, as well as 12 instruments and 50 plume feathers in 1977).

He was declared grand benefactor and lifetime chairman of the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada on August 5 1976 during an event held in the Pantheon Hall.

He was a lawyer and politician for thirty-five years.

He graduated from the Gymnasium of Lefkada and he studied law at the University of Athens. He served for a while as Judge at the Court of First Instance and afterwards he worked as a successful lawyer in Athens.

He was elected for the first time Member of Parliament for Preveza-Arta in 1926 with the political party of Eleftherofronon.

He got reelected as MP for Preveza-Arta in 1932 and MP for Lefkada in 1933 and 1935 with the party Laikon Komma. He had been a member of the Laikon Komma almost since its foundation by Dimitrios Gounaris until the party dissolved in 1958.

He got reelected again MP for Preveza-Arta in 1946, 1950 as member of Laikon Komma, Arta-Lefkada-Preveza (in 1956 with the Laikon Komma) and MP for Lefkada with the party Geniki Laiki Rizospastiki Enosis in 1936 and ERE in 1958.

A fighter, however a modest man, he fought for the preservation of the Constitution. He was a fervent supporter of the freedom of press, the freedom of religious belief, of the right of syndication and the public servants’ right for strike.

He was intensively involved against the dictatorship of Ioannis Metaxas, as well as an avid supporter of peace, he asked for the grant of amnesty for left citizens that were persecuted, at a time were only few would dare to even mention it.

During the governments of Konstantinos and Panagis Tsaldaris he served as general administrator of Epirus (1934-35), minister of internal affairs (1946) and minister of public order (1946-47).

With his whole contribution he touched the lives of almost all citizens of Lefkada and had their support. He had schools built and the road network of the island constructed. Kalkanis passed away after short-term illness in 1961.

His son, Aggelos Kalkanis, was also an MP. (1934-2017).

In 1932 he offered the amount of 1500 drachmas for the musicians of the Philharmonic Society who performed the “Epinikeia” when he had won the elections. This, however caused some dissatisfaction among the musicians that lead to the six-month expelling of some of them and the revision of the regulations of the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada.

Konstantinos Kalkanis had always supported the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada

This is why the Board declared him benefactor and had his name inscribed on the marble plaque with the names of all FEL benefactors. The FEL Board also had his picture hanged in the Board room of FEL.

Konstantinos Alvanitis was born in 1815. He was a notable person of his time and obstetrician by profession. In 1866, along with his colleagues Markos Kalkanis, Antonios Servos and Zafeirios Servos wrote a letter to the Town council of Lefkada in which he expressed his wish to work pro bono for the Municipal Hospital of Lefkada. According to the interesting research of Panos Kouniakis, “I Synchroni Lefkas” Alvanitis’s wife was a descendant of the Psomas family. He also mentions that Alvanitis was a skillful doctor and he stresses that he became a top scientist who offered a lot to the island.

Apart from his science, Konstantinos Alvanitis was also engaged in politics. In 1850, during his mayoralty, he became one of the founding fathers of the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada. He wrote a lot of medical articles which were published in magazines of his time. He passed away in 1909.

He is said to have been the doctor and a good friend of Aristotelis Valaoritis. His son was Dr. Aristomenis Alvanitis.

She was a supreme public officer of the Red Cross. She was related to the Kontari family.

In 1956 FEL made her an offer to buy the house (600 square meters) with the money inherited by Politis. Although she refused initially, she mused about the possibility of selling the house to FEL at a low price or donating it, which she did later on.

The opening of the building with the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada being the new owner was held on December 11 1999 and was attended by Spiros Margelis, prefect at the time, the FEL board (president at the time was Aggelos Vlahos) and Maria Aigialeidou’ s representative, Spiridon H. Karvounis.

She also made donations to the Monastery of Faneromeni and she financially contributed to its recent renovation.

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He was the son of Ioannis Valaoritis and Anastasia Typaldou. He was the brother of the poet Aristoteles Valaoritis.

He was elected member of the parliament for Lefkada for the first time in 1875 and he was reelected in 1879 and 1881.

Panos Thermos was a merchant. His name is mentioned in the list attached to the decision of the Board of July 6  1894, regarding the purchase of new uniforms. He offered the amount of 2 drachmas.

He is also mentioned in a name list (31 January 1898) of those who supported FEL financially. He offered 10 drachmas, the highest amount of all those mentioned in the lists.

Panos Politis, son of Ioannis, else known as Agogiatis, was one of those Lefkadians who left a big share of their fortune to their home island. He was born in 1881. He was a member of a large family, and had a brother, Spiros and three sisters: Kalliopi, Chrysoula and Anastasia.

His father was known for his coaches, hence the nickname Agogiatis. His coaches were a transport means between the town of Lefkada and the nearby villages as well as Vonitsa.

Panos Politis was born in 1881 and passed away in 1949 in the USA, where his restless spirit of enterprise had driven him in 1923.

Along with his brother Spiros, they possessed a great real estate property and a mansion in the region of Vardania with trees, a water well and a summer house.

Panos Politis was known for his intelligence, his dynamic character and his remarkable courage. He was a man of business, quite educated and a fluent speaker of the English language. He led a hectic and adventurous life and he was a man of the world.

He was active for many years in South Africa at the province of Transvaal, in Johannesburg, where, it was said, that he had earned a lot of money. Also, he was active in Venice and Trieste and his last location was New York, USA. From his enterprises he made a considerable fortune.

In 1919 after the death of their mother Panos Politis took his sister Kalliopi with him in Venice so that she could find some peace of mind.

There Kalliopi however fell ill and despite the efforts of the doctors she died at a very young age. Her body was brought to Lefkada. The funeral service was on 6-1-1920. Panos Politis felt devastated by the death of his beloved sister Kalliopi in Venice in 1920.

A lot of people attended the funeral service judging by the photographs of that time. Among them a lot of prominent personalities of Lefkada, while the Philiharmonic Society played funeral marches.

On 18-1-1923 Panos Politis, still in shock by his sister’s death, boarded the cruiser MEGALI ELLAS and after a 19-day journey he arrived in New York. He was 42, single which he remained until his death.

In 1924 he opened a big store called DIETHNES with his business partner from Kefalonia, Panagis Tsilimidis.

Panagis Tsilimidis played a catalytic role in Politis’ life.

Due to the fact that Tsilimidis helped Panos to adjust in the new environment, Panos adopted him without Tsilimidis knowing it, and at the same time they became business partners. Panos believed, that during his time of death Tislimidis would stand by him. He also hoped that the adopted son would share his dream of helping his island and mainly his poor compatriots.

One of the reasons he remained single was to concentrate all his strength to the efforts of improving the harsh living conditions on Lefkada especially for the workers and the poor people during the hard decades of 1920s and 1930s. Most probably he thought of it as a promise towards his sister’s memory, the death of whom made him lead an almost mechanical life: he worked long hours while his strength kept wearing out. On a legend of a relevant photograph on Kalliopi’s grave taken a while before her death one could read: «How short life is, how long the labor». He deprived himself even of a personal life in order to ameliorate the living conditions of his compatriots.

He decided to sell all his property in America but his partner disagreed.

In 1938, however, Panos Politis, deposited 57.204 dollars on his partner’s name and let him run his business, before he set off for Greece fearing that he might die during his journey.

He arrived in Lefkada in 1938. He had already organized a help project for his island and his compatriots. His great projects had to be put on hold though, due to the outbreak of World War II and the German occupation.

Panos Politis could not leave Lefkada due to the war and he resided in one of his houses near the Church of Aghios Georgios, southwest of the Central Square, in a road that was later named after him due to his beneficences.

His partner not only did not wire him any money but according to the will of Panos Politis he was deceiving him as well, although Panos had destined him to be his heir since he had adopted him.

His help project for Lefkada was the reason he remained single. He wanted to build a factory for the poor to work in, under the auspices of his adopted son. That meant that Tsilimidis would have to leave New York and settle down in Lefkada. This is probably the explanation of what Panos Politis called “deceit”. One could assume that Tsilimidis did not wish to let go of a comfortable and interesting life in New York for Lefkada.

He endured the hardships of the German occupation in Lefkada.

In 1946 he returned to New York, where he realized, that during his absence Tsilimidis had deceived him and he decided to change his will. He realized as well that the factory he dreamt about building in Lefkada could no longer become reality.

He called his friends Josef Savoca, Nikolaos Mitilinaios and Mike Mitchell as witnesses and signed before them his handwritten will, which he sealed with his ring on January 14 1948.

Panos Politis died in New York on November 30 1949.

His body was brought to Lefkada in a luxurious coffin.

The whole town of Lefkada was present at the impressive funeral service to honor the deceased.

Priests, the mayor, the mayor, the town council, the Philharmonic Society, the representatives of all charity organizations and associations attended the service in the church of Aghios Minas.

Panos Politis made a lot of beneficences by leaving considerable amounts of money to various foundations and monasteries in Lefkada.

His name is inscribed on the plaque of the great benefactors of FEL and his picture hangs on the wall of the FEL building.

Unfortunately the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada is the only institution honoring Panos Politis.

All biographic details about Panos Politis were given to us by Spyros Politis.

He was the son of Spyros Valaoritis and Maria Rosa Stefanou. He was the nephew of Aristoteles Valaoritis. From his father’s side he was a descendant of the aristocratic Valaoritis family, whereas from his mother’s side he was a descendant of the well known Stefanou family from Zante.

He was elected for the first time Member of Parliament for Corfu in 1890 and he was reelected MP for Lefkada in 1892, 1899, 1902, 1905 and1906. The last time he was elected MP for Corfu was in the 1910 elections.

He was married with Errieta Skaramanga and they had a daughter Lena Valaoritou – Skaramanga, who was a tennis player.

There is no text available at the moment. We are working intensively on it though. In case you have any relevant information please feel free to contact us.

There is no text available at the moment. We are working intensively on it though. In case you have any relevant information please feel free to contact us.

She was declared benefactor of the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada in 1952 since she paid half the expenses for the installation of the electricity for the Philharmonic Society. She passed away in 1985.

There is no text available at the moment. We are working intensively on it though. In case you have any relevant information please feel free to contact us.

There is no text available at the moment. We are working intensively on it though. In case you have any relevant information please feel free to contact us.

There is no text available at the moment. We are working intensively on it though. In case you have any relevant information please feel free to contact us.

Timoleon Messinis was the son of Diamantis Messinis, a fishmonger. He was born in Lefkada in 1906.

He received his first education in the First Elementary School of Lefkada (1912-1916). He attended for four years the Greek School of Lefkada (1916-1920). He completed his two-year studies in the Gymnasium of Lefkada in 1922.

In 1922 he enrolled in the Rizarios Ecclesiastiki Skoli, when he received the scholarship of the Stefanides foundation. He graduated with the degree of teacher. At that time the Rizareios Ecclesiastiki Scoli (1837) along with the Kapodistrian University, the Army Cadet School and the Arsakeion School were the most respectable educational institutions of Greece.

After his graduation from the Rizareios School (Pedagogic Academy) he started working as an appointed teacher. During the school year 1929/30 he was appointed to the elementary school of Arhontohori where he worked until 1934 (1929/30-1933/4).

In Arhontohori he developed a multi faceted and versatile activity. He motivated the local community as well as the state to organize efficiently the elementary school of the village for the improvement of the education of the children and the community of the village.

For his educational as well as social actions he was honored in 1934 by the Ministry of Education.

Around 1933 he got engaged to the teacher Sophia Moraiti, however the young teacher came down with influenza and passed away.

In 1934 Timoleon Messinis returned to Lefkada where he served as school principal of the Second Elementary School until 1964 (1936-1964).

Moreover – professionally- he served more than once as deputy inspector of primary education.

He was actively involved in the educational as well as social life of Lefkada: he organized the Church Choir, he reorganized the Public Library, he was curator, secretary and board member of FEL, board member of the Greek Red Cross in Lefkada, lecturer for educational issues at various local conferences, board member of various cultural associations etc.

For his social and educational offer he was honored by education inspectors, the Greek Red Cross and the Ministry of Education. Timoleon Messinis belongs to the generation of offer and duty. He was a man of humanity and of Lefkadian culture.

He was a Lefkadian painter who designed pro bono the scenery of the small theatre of FEL in1908.

He was born in 1874 and died in Athens in 1941. He was a professor at the Faculty of Arts in the Polytechnic School of Athens.

FEL declared him “honorary” donator for his donation.

He was from Cavalos, Lefkada and he lived in the USA.

He offered the amount of 30 dollars to FEL and he was declared donator in September 1947

He died in 1951.

He came from Spanochori Lefkada and he is mentioned as an émigré. He offered the amount of 100.000 drachmas.

He was declared donator on September 15 1947.

He lived in Italy and he was a major retailer. He helped the island through difficult times.

After the earthquake of June 2 1948, which almost destroyed most of the buildings, Gerasimos Messinis sent wood as well as other necessary means to those affected by the earthquake.

It was of that wood that the Philharmonic Society of Lefkada used to have the destroyed building rebuilt.

He was declared donator of FEL on November 3 1956, since he left equipment as well as spare and replacement parts for music instruments.

He was the son of the musician Michael Maggel who served FEL during 1875 -1890 (it is not exactly known when nor how long he served as director)

Andreas Maggel had worked with FEL many times as music instrument restorer.

Spyridon Voutsinas was a journalist.

He was declared donator of FEL on April 14 1959 for donating 5000 drachmas to FEL in memory of his father G.S. Voutsinas, director of the newspaper AKROPOLIS.

The donation was given initially to the Association of Lefkadians in Athens for the support of the Speech and Arts Festival (in 1958) which was dedicated to the Lefkadian journalists A. Metaxas, G. Voutsinas and D. Devaris.

However, G. Voutsinas was hardly mentioned during the festival and his son withdrew his donation. The Lefkadians M. Kamvisis (lawyer) and Thr. Aravanis (tax officer) persuaded him, though, to donate the amount to FEL.

G. Katopodis was declared twice donator for his various donations to FEL.

The second time was in 1959 (May 1)

He had an optician’s shop in Athens He was declared donator twice for his various donations to FEL.

The second time was in 1959 (May 1)