George John Simeon

  
George John Simeon (Age 81)  
Died on Friday, May 20, 2016 in Arlington, VA surrounded by his loving family. Born to Greek immigrants on July 21, 1934 in New York, NY, he grew up in Washington Heights. As a young man he hitchhiked across Canada, studied in Wales, and explored post-war Europe, resulting in a lifetime of diverting anecdotes. Following a charming courtship in Honolulu, HI, he married Evelyn Eiko Takeuchi in Los Angeles, CA in 1965. After completing a PhD in anthropological linguistics at the University of Southern California, George drove with Eiko and their infant daughter, Laura, to Chinautla, Guatemala. Multiple prestigious fellowships allowed him to continue with fieldwork in a variety of locations. Scott was born in Australia, where George conducted ethnomedical research in the Torres Strait Islands. Michele arrived in Providence, RI, soon after the family left Gjoa Haven in the Canadian Arctic where he studied traditional Inuit wayfinding. George was a fiercely loyal and doting husband, father, and grandfather, and his athletic prowess was matched only by his fondness for classic Japanese cinema, his Anglophilia, and his fund of corny jokes. Translating Greek poetry and exploring Iceland with Eiko were passions of his later years. In addition to his wife, children and their spouses, George is loved and missed by his grandchildren, Pippa, Hilla, and August; his sister, Dr. Catherine Papadakos; his niece, Diana Ruttencutter, and many friends and relatives. A viewing will be held at Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church, 3149 Glen Carlyn Rd, Falls Church, VA 22041 on Thursday, May 26, 2016 from 10 to 11 a.m. with a funeral service at 11 a.m. The graveside service will be immediately after at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, VA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in George's honor to Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church.