Georges John Kipouros

The family of Georges John Kipouros, beloved husband, father, academic, inventor, and engineer, is devastated to announce that he passed away on July 24, 2025, at the age of 77. Georges is survived by his loving wife of 42 years Matina (née Sarantopoulos), their sons Thanasi and Yiannis, and his daughter Ariane; his sisters Fani and Sofia; his brother Lambi; his sister-in-law Ntina; his nieces Stella (Remy), Louiza, Effy (Dimitri) and Xenia; his nephews Thanos and Dionysis (Eleni); his mother-in-law Helene; brother-in-law Richard and his sister-in-law Betty; his grand-nieces Dido, Maria, and Konstantina; his grand-nephews Michalis and Giorgios; as well as many other cherished relatives in Greece, Chicago, Ohio and Texas. He was predeceased by his mother Polyxeni (of Divri, Ilia, Greece) and his father Ioannis (of Vidiaki, Arcadia, Greece); his beloved sister Lela; his father-in-law Athanasios; and his brother-in-law Mihalis.

Georges was born in Patras, Achaea, Greece in 1948 to Ioannis and Polyxeni (née Papantonopoulou), but was raised in Athens. A born engineer, as a child he collected scrap metal and stored it under his bed until he had enough to build a bicycle. He loved soccer, competing for the youth club of Aigaleo F.C.- then a regular in Greece's top league. Offered a chance to graduate to the senior club, he chose instead to attend the National Technical University of Athens, where he graduated first in his class. (Truth be told, he was a fan of Panathinaikos F.C anyway.) During his time as an undergraduate, he was often spotted walking around the unfinished second story balcony of his house (getting dangerously close to the unguarded edges), with a book in his hand. He fulfilled his three-year mandatory military service in the Hellenic Armed Forces attaining the rank of second lieutenant while serving as acting head of the army's bureau of ammunition studies.

In 1974 Georges made the courageous decision to emigrate to Canada, where he earned his master's and doctoral degrees from the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science at the University of Toronto. There, he met his beloved wife, Matina. An extremely hard worker, from 2 p.m. to 12 a.m. he could be found working in his lab at U of T's Mining Building. After midnight, he washed dishes at the Trojan Horse (nicknamed "The Donkey"), a boite on the Danforth. And when that closed for the night, he went back to the lab to continue his research until the city woke up again.

He loved Greek music and spent many nights at The Donkey singing along to everything from the old rebetika to the contemporary works of Mikis Theodorakis, his favourite composer, whose songs he would sing for the rest of his life.

One of his greatest pleasures was talking politics with friends and strangers alike. He took a leading role in the Toronto and Boston chapters of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement and was especially proud of helping to organize a conference that brought together prominent academics and politicians in opposition to the illegal Turkish occupation of Cyprus.

After earning his doctorate, Georges became a post-doctoral researcher at M.I.T and, later, a senior researcher at General Motors. He returned to academia in 1989, becoming an associate professor of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at the Technical University of Nova Scotia (now part of Dalhousie University) and in 1994 a full professor. He was a prolific and dedicated researcher, publishing over 170 papers in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. His most significant contributions to the scientific literature concerned the processing of aluminum, magnesium, rare earth metals, and molten salts; the use of powder metallurgy for parts manufacturing; and the analysis of corrosion in additive manufacturing. He was always excited to work with students and collaborators who pulled him out of familiar territory, a personal favourite being his unlikely foray into tissue engineering. In recognition of these contributions, he was elected a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM), and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He was honoured as the CIM 2009 distinguished lecturer and received the 20th Canadian Metal Chemistry Award.

What Georges cherished most, however, was the opportunity to cultivate the minds and careers of his students. He supervised more than 50 undergraduate researchers, 38 master's students, and 19 Ph.D. students. He considered them his most meaningful contribution to science, and their successes were his greatest legacy. He was a peripatetic in the Aristotelian sense and could often be seen discussing projects with students while walking from the Halifax Public Gardens to Scotia Square. He was grateful for the opportunities his work gave him to travel the world and meet people from all walks of life. He served as a visiting professor at institutions around the world, including the University of Patras, the University of Trondheim, Tohoku University, Kyoto University, and the University of Tokyo.

Georges further served the university in numerous leadership roles. As Head of the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering between 1994 and 2000, he expanded the department's co-op program and created stronger ties with industry. Under his tenure as Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Engineering between 2000 to 2005, Georges headed the creation of administrative structures for space analysis and the development of Sexton campus. He also served as Vice-Chair of the Senate from 1997 to 2000 and as Director of the Minerals Engineering Centre from 2000 to 2013. He sat on countless faculty and university committees, including the TUNS/Dalhousie Amalgamation Coordinating Committee. In 2013, Georges accepted a new challenge as Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, where he helped the college secure its first-ever six-year accreditation.

During his time in Halifax, Georges was a beloved fixture of the Greek community. His laid-back and straightforward demeanor made him many friends who became like family. He was the family photographer and videographer (before it was so easy), capturing so many hours of video that it's unlikely anyone could watch them all. He loved to cook and spent many Friday nights making his own yoghurt. Everywhere he went, he was known for bringing his sweet, homemade Baklava to share. He instilled a love of learning in his children and could not turn off his "teaching mode," no matter the audience. Whether explaining the history of the Acropolis to a first-time visitor in Athens or simply having a coffee with a friend, his curiosity and life-long love of learning meant he always had something new to share.

Georges loved his family, which spanned continents, immensely. His family in Greece were his foundation. His relatives in Ohio helped him adjust to North American life. At home in Halifax, he was a supportive, motivating, father and a loving husband. Through Matina he had family in Chicago and Toronto, who were a wellspring of joy when he was far from his own blood. Discovering the Kypuros branch of the family in Texas brought him great joy, and thanks to their warmth and hospitality, those relationships quickly grew into lasting bonds.

Georges took every opportunity to return to Greece and brought his family there as often as he could. He cared deeply for his neighborhood friends and university comrades, who remained an important part of his life until the end. He could not stay away from Greece for long, as if his body began to ache for the Aegean Sea. This led him to purchase and renovate his childhood home, imprinting it with his distinctive architectural vision (much to the dismay of his wife!) His final visit to Greece, in November 2024, was one of his favourites. He would not stop talking about the beaches of Ierapetra, Crete, to anyone who would listen. There he found joy eating food at fish taverns, singing along to Chrysoprasino Fyllo with strangers, drinking raki with old Cretan villagers, and gripping the door of the rental car in terror as his son, driving in Greece for the first time, navigated the nauseating, winding mountain roads.

Georges spent his final moments in hospital, surrounded by his family. He passed away peacefully, listening to one of his favourite songs, The Accordion by Manos Loizos. Georges fought for his life with grace and dignity many times, and the family is grateful for the support of members of the medical community during his most recent battles¬- including the nurses, caregivers, and staff of Juravinski Hospital (C4 and B4), the Juravinsky Cancer Centre, and the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Hospital; his caregiver and friend Ron Cayabyab; as well as Dr. Joseph Aziz, Michele Wright, and Dr. Arjun Sahgal.

The family would especially like to thank Eugenia Piliotis-doctor, friend, family- whose steadfast support over more than three decades was a source of strength for both Georges and those closest to him. Her guidance, care, presence, advocacy-always given with warmth and generosity-meant more than words can express.

There will be no funeral service. A celebration of life is being planned for a future date. In lieu of flowers, a scholarship fund is being established in Georges' memory at Dalhousie University. To honour his life and legacy, contributions can be made at scholarship.kipouros.ca.