EDUCATION Minister Pefkios Georgiades died suddenly yesterday afternoon after suffering a cardiac arrest.
His death left the public and political spectrum reeling, as only hours earlier he had been speaking on national radio, attended a cabinet meeting, and participated in an education seminar.
His death was announced by Health Minister Charis Charalambous at 5.30pm.
Georgiades’ funeral will take place today at 2.30pm at Panayias Evangelistrias Church in Pallouriotissa. Archbishop Chrysostomos will perform the ceremony. His burial will follow at the Constantinos and Eleni cemetery.
All public schools and a handful of private schools, including the GC School of Careers, the private Greek school Forum, Terra Santa, the English School and the Junior School, will remain closed today as a mark of respect.
House President Demetris Christofias said parliament would observe one minute’s silence in his honour during today’s plenary session.
Following yesterday’s cabinet meeting, Georgiades attended a seminar at a Nicosia hotel where he began to feel increasingly unwell. He was rushed to Nicosia general hospital at around 3.30pm where he went into cardiac arrest.
Despite doctors best efforts to save the minister, he was pronounced dead just before 5pm.
Accident and emergency department head Costas Antoniades told reporters Georgiades exact cause of death would be determined during an autopsy this morning. The doctor would not comment on the minister’s medical history, nor would he confirm whether he had a heart condition citing a violation of personal data.
Referring to Georgiades’ vision for a better future, his dynamism and youthful approach, the Health Minister said: “We have just lost a very significant person, a friend, political associate, who has left his creative stamp on Cypriot society, climaxing with his work at the Ministry of Education and Culture… His loss has cost us greatly and the void it leaves is irreplaceable.”
Other than his wife and children, among those who rushed to Georgiades’ side was his close childhood friend President Tassos Papadopoulos.
Overcome with grief following Georgiades’ death, Papadopoulos did not stop to comment as he left the hospital, choosing instead to issue a moving statement later.
“I express my deepest sorrow and great personal grief for the sudden death of Education and Culture Minister Pefkios Georgiades, a fine person with whom I was bound with a close friendship since our school years and for whom I have only pleasant memories,” the statement read.
The president went on to refer to his friend as a “human being” with “the smile of kindness and the diffusing power of sincerity”.
He added: “As a Minister he worked with zeal and creative passion for our education and culture, producing remarkable results and making an important contribution.
“I will remember him with ample of gratitude for all those he offered quietly, as a valuable partner in the Council of Ministers.
“His family lost a dedicated protector. I lost a dear friend, a faithful and worthy associate.”
Deputies and associates also rushed to the hospital to be close to the much-loved minister.
“He was like the sunshine; only joy came out of him. It’s a real, real shame. We’ll miss him,” Foreign Minister George Lillikas said.
Christofias, DIKO leader Marios Karoyian, DISY deputy Nicos Tornaritis, and EDEK spokesman Demetris Papadakis all expressed their deepest sadness at Georgiades’ passing, a man each in turn described as “talented”, “creative”, and “effective” with “a childlike spirit”; a man they called their friend.
