Socrates Mamakos

Socrates Mamakos, longtime resident of San Francisco and prominent lawyer, passed away in the early hours of Monday morning, July 14th 2025. He was 94 years old.

Socrates was born in 1930 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the youngest of 4 boys to Greek immigrant parents. They lived above a family restaurant that Socrates and his brothers helped run as they grew up in the mixed social and economic tapestry of the US during the first half of last century.

Socrates left Elizabeth on a college basketball scholarship settling eventually at NYU to begin his peripatetic education, moving from the English Department at Boston University to the Psychology Department at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. There, he was introduced to the growing wave of Ordinary Language Philosophy that blossomed in the 1950s, taking him to Oxford University (St. Peter's College) to study with Oscar Wood and Bernard Williams, including as well, Stuart Hampshire, J.L. Austen, A.J. Ayers, Gilbert Ryle, among others. At Oxford he was exposed to perhaps the greatest collection of philosophers in one place since Athens in the fifth century B.C., and as president of Jowett House (Faculty of Philosophy), he forged life-long friendships with philosopher John Searle, historian and television producer Jerry Kuehl, US Senator Paul Sarbanes, and many contemporaries. His memories of David Pears, Isaiah Berlin, Elizabeth Anscombe, and others featured in stories he told until his final days.

Following his exposure to the high watermark of Oxford Philosophy, he was invited for doctoral studies at Stanford University in clinical psychology whilst continuing work in philosophy, until eventually settling at UC Berkeley Boalt Hall where he earned his law degree in 1965. He began practicing law under former California Supreme Court Justice Joseph R. Grodin before starting his own practice where he represented clients in varied cases including a class action against a major US bank, and a landmark California law partnership case. Alongside his specialization in criminal law, he represented Unions and Teamsters during the 1970s, and defended conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War, many pro bono.

In 1969, Socrates married his wife, musician and artist Denise Mamakos (deceased in 2009), and became a dedicated father to four children in whom he inspired the same love of letters, passion for learning, and curiosity in life. Socrates was a vibrant member of the Bay Area Greek community where he co-founded and served as president of DYNAMIS, a political action committee dedicated to promoting Greek-Americans for elected office. Remembered for his larger-than-life presence, acerbic wit, charm, and profound kindness, Socrates cracked jokes quite literally until his final hour, requesting Hemlock in jest to his namesake.

Socrates is survived by his four children, Nicholas, Christina, Laura (married to Stathis Triphyllis), and Mark (married to Nica Gemo Mamakos), four grandchildren, Kleo, Arrieta, Socrates, and Oscar-Socrates, his brother James Mamakos (married to Jeanette Mamakos), and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.