On Tuesday, May 4, the unexpected passing of Alexandros Giannadakis while he was abroad brought deep sorrow to his family, friends, colleagues, and students. Celebrated for his dedication to Greek language education, Giannadakis’ former students honour his legacy in a special issue of Neos Kosmos’ ‘Mathitofrenia’, reflecting on his profound impact with love and respect.
Former students of Alexandros Giannadakis, a beloved teacher of Ancient Greek in the Melbourne Community Schools, bid farewell to their mentor – their “Master” as they called him- both in ancient Greek and in their heartfelt messages.
The news of his death came as a shock, bringing grief and pain to his family, friends, colleagues, and students. Originally from Crete, Alexandros graduated with honours from the Department of Pedagogical Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Crete. He worked for many years as a lecturer at the University of Crete.
Giannadakis arrived in Melbourne in 2004 as a seconded teacher to contribute to the strengthening of Greek language education in the Greek community. His contributions were numerous and invaluable. He served at the Coordinating Office for Education of the Greek Consulate General in Melbourne and in numerous day and evening schools in Melbourne.
In 2012, he worked as a lecturer at Monash University and since 2013, he continued his teaching for the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), serving as a teacher and coordinator of the Ancient Greek and Adult Programmes.
Profoundly knowledgeable in Greek language and history, he worked tirelessly for 19 years with dedication and passion, serving his great love for language and culture. He was distinguished for his values, humanity, kindness, and respect towards colleagues and students, as well as for his sense of humor and excellent work.
