Expatriate George Andreou unexpectedly passed away at the age of 74, known to the general public for his long-term presence on the Gippsland airwaves.
Mr Andreou passed away on 11 April at the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre after a brief battle with the illness.
He leaves behind his life partner Ingrid, with whom he was together for 52 years, his two children, his seven grandchildren, relatives and close friends, but also those who knew and loved him as the “voice” of Greek radio in Gippsland.
Since 1977, Mr Andreou has been presenting the Greek Variety program which was broadcast every Tuesday night by Gippsland FM.
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He was one of Gippsland’s ‘longest-lived’ radio presenters and stood out for his rapport with the Greek Cypriot community.
On the celebration of the 40th anniversary of his show in 2017, he had stated speaking to Neos Kosmos:
“I never thought I would continue for so many years. I still present the program, because there is love and support from the community.”
Mr Andreou had emigrated from Cyprus to Latrobe Valley in 1964 and started work at a power plant.
He was a beloved member of the community there and in 1995 he was honoured with the Victorian Multicultural Excellence Award in recognition of his contribution to the Greek community of Gippsland.
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Mr Andreou’s funeral is expected to take place today with close family amid coronavirus restrictions and will be broadcast online for those who want to say their final goodbye from a distance.
