Stylianos Philippides

Stylianos A. Philippides, 69, of Reading, passed away on January 10, 2022 at Chestnut Knoll in Boyertown. A proud native of Kythrea, Cyprus, he was the eldest son of the late Andreas G. Philippides and Evdokia Athanasiadou. Stylianos, or “Stelios” as he was fondly known, was a devoted father of Andrea, Nicholas, Kari,and Tara. He was a big brother to his dear siblings, George Philippides and Artemis Isodiou, a proud “papa” to four grandchildren, and a loving uncle to six nieces and nephews. He was also the beloved cousin of the late Andreas N. Philippides. Stelios grew up in Kythrea, a village in northern Cyprus. His native language was Greek. He cherished his upbringing there, where he had strong bonds with family and friends. In his adolescence, Stelios attended The English School in Nicosia, Cyprus, where he flourished as an academic, writer, and performing artist. As a young man, Stelios developed a fascination with the United States. After completing military service with the Cyprus National Guard in 1973, Stelios fulfilled that childhood dream, setting out for the U.S. He enrolled at Muhlenberg College, studying Economics as a Fulbright Scholar. Hardly a year later, in 1974, Cyprus was invaded by the Turkish Armed Forces, and Stelios wanted to return to his homeland. At his family’s encouragement, though, he remained in the U.S., and would go on to fulfill his dream of becoming an American citizen. Stelios earned his B.A. from Muhlenberg College in 1976, an MBA from Lehigh University in 1978, and almost earned his doctorate before deciding to devote his energies to his professional career. For most of his career, Stelios, or “Stelly” as he was called by friends in the U.S., was President and CEO of Penn Iron Works, a steel fabrication business that was in Spring Township. He worked tirelessly to innovate company operations until his retirement. Stelly was proud that the company manufactured quality products and that it provided for the families of the employees. Stelios was a compassionate man. He had a big heart. He helped others on countless occasions, always ready to give of himself. He wanted the best for people and he had a knack for seeing the good in them. Stelios loved movies, music, books, traveling, and was an avid Philadelphia Phillies fan. He had a natural curiosity for the world. Above all, Stelios loved to spend time with his family. A Celebration of Life service will soon be announced. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation. Stelios’ family also encourages participation in the Foundation’s Parkinson’s Progressions Markers Initiative Study (PPMI), which is looking for participants, including those without Parkinson’s. The PPMI can be found at www.michaeljfox.org/ppmi. Lutz Funeral Home, Inc. is in charge of arrangements. For online condolences, please visit www.LutzFuneralHome.com