PHILIP E. SERAFIM

1937 - 2021

SERAFIM, Philip E. Of Sudbury, passed away on February 9, 2021. He was born in Athens in 1937, the son of Amalia Zannaras Serafim and Evangelos Serafim, both of whom were originally from Chios, Greece. Philip grew up in Kallithea, Athens and attended Varvakeio. While in high school, he competed in the Hellenic Mathematic's Association's National Competition and won first place. He attended the National Technical University, where he helped establish and was elected president of the first student council. Upon graduation, he received a Fulbright Scholarship and attended MIT, where he received his PhD with honors in electrical engineering in 1963. He spent his entire life in academia. He started at the Brooklyn Polytechnic in New York City and then at the National Technical University in Greece, where he was elected full professor in 1978 and stayed until 1985. After returning to the United States, he taught electromagnetics in the department of electrical engineering at Northeastern University for over 30 years. His students nominated him many times for the award as best teacher in the engineering department, as well as in the University as a whole, and he won these awards multiple times. He was an inspired lecturer and deeply committed to his students, following their progress as they made their way out into the world as engineers, both here and abroad. Upon his retirement, he took over as President of the Maliotis Cultural Center where he served for over a decade, working tirelessly to promote Greek culture. He was a great patriot and lover of Greece and demonstrated this love in many capacities—from organizing American opposition to the Greek Junta from 1967 until 1974 while in New York to setting up numerous musical and theatrical events, lectures and establishing a Greek choir at the Maliotis Cultural Center in Boston. But most importantly, he was first and foremost a husband and father. Beloved husband of Leta. Devoted father of Amalia Serafim and her husband David Hartnagel and Annie Serafim and her husband Ioannis Baltopoulos. Philip was a loving grandfather of Zoe, Grace, Joni, George, Eva and Philip. In recent years, his greatest joy was spending time with his grandchildren. His was a life of achievement and honor, commitment and devotion to the causes he believed in and the people he loved. Visitation will be held at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St. (Rt 16), WELLESLEY on Friday, February 12, from 4-7pm. Relatives and friends kindly invited. A private Funeral Service will take place at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 57 Brown St., Weston on Saturday, February 13. The service can be live streamed at stdemetriosweston.org/live-streaming at 10am on Saturday, Feb. 13. Interment in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Sudbury. For directions and guestbook, gfdoherty.com. In lieu of flowers, donations in Philip's memory may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. George F. Doherty & Sons Wellesley 781 235 4100