George N. Paraskevopoulos

1930 – 2021

Dr. George Nicholas Paraskevopoulos of Warren, New Jersey died peacefully on April 12, 2021 at the age of 91.  He was a loving husband, wonderful father, and incredible grandfather. 

George was born in the small village of Koutroubouki, Arcadia, Greece, to Nicholas and Eleni Paraskevopoulos.  As one of seven children, he learned the values of hard work, trust and perseverance at a young age and he believed in the value of education and all the opportunity it could afford a person. He was a graduate of the University of Athens in Greece after which he worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Greece.  While in Greece he met his future wife Helen while she was on a summer vacation from her home in the United States. In 1958 he moved to the United States where he joined Helen, who was teaching in New Jersey. George and Helen married in 1959 and they would spend more than 61 wonderful years together.  They had one son, Nicholas.

After arriving in the United States, he decided to continue his education at the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School) and study economics under Dr. Lawrence Klein, Nobel Prize Winner.  In 1969 he received his Ph.D.

His academic professional career began at Rutgers University Business School where he was an economics professor for many years. He then joined Iona College where he helped create their MBA program.  He spent the remainder of his teaching career at Iona where he was often recognized as one of the most beloved professors because of his dedication to teaching and to the students.  He was an avid reader of Greek philosophy and continued studying the great philosophers long after retirement.  He had an intense belief in “right and wrong” and each individual’s right and duty to continually make themselves better through books, study, and thought. 

He and Helen spent most of their 61 years together in New Jersey where they raised their son. Many summers were spent going back to Greece visiting family and vacationing.  His granddaughters, Eleni and Anastasia, became the loves of his life.  One of his great joys was buying chocolate cakes or chocolate ice-cream whenever his granddaughters were around so they all could share the sweets together. 

George Paraskevopoulos believed in the impossible through hard work and faith.   When asked about this, he would reply, “How else could a boy without shoes make his way from a village in Greece to becoming a professor in the United States, raising a family, owning a home and having more shoes than he needed!”

He is survived by his wife Helen, his son Nicholas and his wife Elizabeth; granddaughters Eleni and Anastasia Paraskevopoulos; sisters Evangelia and Vasiliki, and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

A private family service will be held at the Greek Orthodox Chapel on Windsor Mill Road, Baltimore, MD on April 15, 2021.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to:

The Cathedral of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

24W. Preston Street

Baltimore, MD 21201