Alexander Baladakis
23 September 1942 - 11 January 2021
Remembering Alex Baladakis, Archon of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and stalwart of the Hellenic community.
Funeral service
Date - Monday 18 January 2021
Time - 11 am
Location - Cathedral of St. Constantine and Helen in Johannesburg
Keeping in mind Covid restrictions, kindly follow the below links to view the service LIVE.
Daddy
Daddy today I have to say goodbye to you.
Daddy I never though this day would be here so quickly.
Daddy why is it that all my life you taught me to stand on my own feet and be my own man and yet right now I want to hide behind you to feel your warmth and your strength.
Daddy I made sure I told you many times I love you as you did to me, so why Daddy does it feel like I never said it enough.
Dad you are my light and I will always treasure your lessons and your philosophical methodology of thinking that you entrenched in my life and my mind.
Dad you always said that “life is for the living” so I will soon stop being sad as you would have wanted, but Daddy please allow me some time to grieve.
Dad we have received so much support so many messages so much love over the last few days.
It feels like at some point the whole of the world was praying for you.
Dad please protect us and keep us safe.
Say hello from all of us here today (that loved you so much) say hello to your Brothers Uncle George and Uncle Michael, your Sister Sofia who died at 18 years of age but that you never forgot.
Giagia Maria, Papou Gianni, and Giagia Elefteria. Who you will be buried near to today so you won’t be lonely.
Daddy your brother Jimmy is here today, your Mimmaki. Mimmaki and I have talked every day since you passed just like you Dad.
Dad Mom is so sad but she is strong and she will be fine.
Dad the messages we got oh my Lord so many so many amazing thoughts and prayers for you.
Dad today we are here in your favorite church where you got married Constandinou and Helen, as you wanted,
But Dad how will we return here again without you in the front of the holy altar. Without us hearing your voice when you were chanting.
Dad I must be great full that we had so many years together. That I had the privilege of time with you. That we saw each other daily and worked alongside each other.
Alex was my mentor my colleague my friend my confidant my boss my partner he was my all.
Because of him I am a better man, a better friend, a better father, a better son, a better brother.
I have tried hard to describe my Father but words I have not been able to write.
So I would like to quote from a poem of the great Greek Poet Cavafy who also grew up in Egypt and walked the streets of the Greek Quarter in Alexandria as my Father once did.
“The Glory of King Antiochus the beneficent must be praised as befits, O Commagenes.
He was a prominent governor of the land.
He has been just, wise, brave.
He has been, also, that best of all things:
Greek — cultured —
humanity does not possess a quality more precious;
beyond that lies the realm of the gods.”
Much will be said about my Dad much will be and has been written.
The truth is he has left a gaping hole in this country this community and in my life.
I hope and I pray that he will guide me and keep us all safe and united as a family and as a community.
Alex you always told us when you address people be brief and speak simply. I am trying but it is difficult I want to say so much more about who you are what you did how many people you helped. But I suspect people already know that.
Alex I have a case of Coke here today it should be a truck. Alex, I wanted to honor our bet.
"Just one coke that’s all just one coke if I am right boys".
Alex AJP has sent you your favorite lunch “apples” one from every shop and division.
Alex you never asked for anything in return when you helped others. Many times you would just say “ just one rose on my grave thats all I want”
Alex I bring one rose for you as instructed.
How will we step into your office and not see you there and I promise Alex we haven’t moved anything. Lest we confuse you.
Archon today you are draped in the colours of the patriarchate that you so admired and loved. They honor you because you so richly deserve it.
Alex, Father, Archon, my guiding light my King, I will miss you but I know you will be with me in my heart and my thoughts all the time.
Until we meet again.
I will... honour your legacy.
Rest now.
Everything down here is taken care of.
Μέχρι που να ξανά βρεθούμε....
ΘΑ την τιμήσω την μνήμη σου.
Ξεκουράσου τώρα.
Ολα εδώ είναι τακτοποιημένα.
Αναχώρησε πατριάρχη μου.
Fly my beloved patriarch Fly go be with your Protector.
His Eminence Archbishop Damaskinos, Archmiandrite Pater Athos ,Father Gerasimos , Father George ,friends , family, colleagues.
One of the men of whom I read a lot of always, talks about the ovarian lottery. And that there is always an element of luck to whom and where you are born.
In my case I had the winning ticket from the beginning. Having been born to Alexander and Kikki Paraskevi (Voula) I, together with my brother John won the lottery.
I always knew my Dad was a great man and I always admired him but he was always just Dad to us.
The guy that brought us up, the guy I worked with who always treated me as an equal and always listened and tried to understand my point of view before making any decisions. But make no mistake I also knew when he thought it was nonsense.
These last few days and with all the messages, condolences and well wishes I actually realised that I did not really know how much Dad meant to all. I think more to the humility of the man that he was actually, and he was so much more than I could have ever imagined or believed.
I realised that he was astute, intelligent, loving, philanthropic, hard but ethical, academic, humble, hardworking, and a family man in essence. A true leader in very sense of the word who never ever forgot where he came from.
These last few days as I reminisce about Dad, I realise that this astuteness started young when he made his first and most important move in winning my Moms heart. She has stood by him all her life without fault or failure just like his best friend. She was his everything and I think that is why he was always so strong. Mom, Dad always told us that out of everything he achieved in his life, you, were his biggest triumph. And in that manner John, I, our families and his grandkids were his biggest success and real true loves.
I also realised that Dad always had a flame burning inside him and that flame was always there. Somehow, he always knew what the correct thing to do was, when to draw on that power that just miraculously appeared from nowhere, and had endless unrelenting energy and determination. That flame warned him and just got stronger in him when something was not correct. It told him to help all the time and when he did it, the fire burned brighter and gave him even more strength. Spending five minutes with him you just felt immediate warmth and love.
I thought I was doing ok and making my own mark slowly. But in the last few days and inmy encounters with everyone, I cannot believe how many lives you’ve touched and how many lives you saved in your own way. How many people owe their careers and education to you and how much respect you garnered from all walks of life regardless of colour, nationality, race or religion. (Man, you could even read and recite the Holy Koran.) However, most of all, the common thread from every person was – Dad, you were the truest of gentleman and the humblest of men.
I now understand clearly, that your goal was always to pass on that flame to John and I. And that all the time you were subtly and encouragingly passing on your knowledge to us daily with full intent.
Pops I get it now and I promise that John and I will make it our life’s mission to live up to your expectations and improve on them. We promise to instil that in our families and children and into every person that crosses our paths for whatever reason.
In life there are business leaders, community leaders, political leaders, academic leaders but very few that are all of these. And these are the few true giants on this earth. You are and always will be a giant of a man.
I am certain that because of all of this and looking at the state of the world we love and live in, our Lord Almighty has called you his warrior to be by his side and begin even bigger projects together with him. That your presence on this earth and your influence to make the world a better place was only the beginning.
Go meet your hero Dad, say hello from us, do not boss too many people around up there, look down and know that your footprints on this earth were vast and many. And that your legacy, spirit, ethics, values, and love of each other will remain in all of us. So, rest peacefully, (not too long as I know you will be tirelessly working with your new hero) have a Raki on us and know that John, I and the entire family have it covered.
I will miss you every day and forever.
Go in peace my hero, my giant, my father.
Eaonia in mnimi.
