My hands won’t go to the keyboard! They’re frozen!
I can’t believe I have to write the words that follow.
I can’t believe that my dear friend, my flawless collaborator of 50 years, the honest, modest journalist, the creative craftsman of the pen, George Hatzivasilis, has passed to the other shore!
The message—and then phone call—from my son, Stathis, from distant Sydney, was a tremendous shock.
“Hatzis has gone,” he told me.
Other messages and phone calls followed from friends in Australia.
“George Hatzivssilis has left this world.”
The death of my unforgettable friend wasn’t unexpected. He had been facing health problems, but all of us who knew him believed that—with the same fighting spirit he used to win his journalistic battles—he would also win the battle for his life.
In the end, sadly, he lost the final battle. I lost a lifelong friend, and journalism lost a worthy representative.
Who was George Hatzivasilis
George Hatzivasilis was born in Alexandria in Egypt, where he took his first steps in the world of information.
His family roots were from the picturesque island of Symi.
He worked for a few years at the newspaper Tachydromos, alongside his father, before they migrated to Australia—specifically, to Adelaide.
For several years, he worked in the typesetting department of the newspaper The Advertiser, owned by Rupert Murdoch.
In the early 1970s, he moved permanently to Sydney, where we met.
He worked for many Greek community newspapers and radio stations.
Our longest collaboration was with the newspaper O Kosmos.
He was known for his insistence on verifying information. I don’t recall a single one of his articles ever being refuted—and if he ever made a mistake as a person, he was quick to correct it.
With the passing of George Hatzivasilis to the other side, journalism of the Greek diaspora is now much, much poorer.
Farewell on your journey into the light, unforgettable friend Giorgos. Those of us who were lucky enough to know you and work with you will always hold you in our hearts.
