Dr. Argyrios Margaritis
January 20, 2019
Peacefully, surrounded by family, on Sunday, January 20, 2019 at University Hospital. Dr. Margaritis was a Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at Western University. Beloved husband of Mary for 42 years. Loving father of Demetrios and his wife Christina, and Athena Niarchos and her husband Jonathan. Devoted Papou of Nicholas, Marianna, Ioanna, and Kassiani. Survived by his brothers Michael and his wife Kathy, Emilios and his wife Joanne, his sister-in-law Maria, as well as many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his brother Pavlos, and his parents Demetrios and Kyriaki. Argyrios was born and raised in Kastoria, Macedonia, Greece. As a teenager, he emigrated to Canada to pursue his dreams. He attended the University of Waterloo, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. He followed that with his Master of Science in Chemical Engineering and his Ph.D in Biochemical Engineering, both from the University of California at Berkeley. Upon graduation, he began his career as a Chemical and Biochemical Engineer at the University of Western Ontario, where he spent over four decades immersed in what he loved the most – teaching and researching. He had a wide range of interests and areas of focus in his research, including biopolymer nanoparticles for drug delivery, biomedical engineering, bioenvironmental engineering, biofuels (ethanol, butanol and hydrogen gas), and fermentation. As a professor, Argyrios was respected by his students as a caring mentor and a dedicated researcher. His teaching and research achievements have been recognized with many awards and distinctions through the years, most notably: Fellow, Chemical Institute of Canada, Officer Order of Honour, Professional Engineers of Ontario, Fellow, Engineers Canada, Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering, and Research and Development Medal, Professional Engineers Ontario. Argyrios will be most remembered by those who knew him best as a man with deep convictions, who was dedicated to his family, his faith, and as a compassionate advocate of his students’ learning and well-being. Visitors will be received at WESTVIEW FUNERAL CHAPEL, 709 Wonderland Road North, London, on Thursday, January 24, 2019 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., with prayers at 8:00 p.m. A funeral service will be conducted at HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, 131 Southdale Road West, London, on Friday, January 25, 2019 at 11:30 a.m., officiated by Rev. Father Demetre Mouselimis. Interment to follow at Woodland Cemetery. If desired, donations can be made to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church or to the Dr. Argyrios Margaritis Memorial Scholarship, at Western University; attention Anthony Newton, Western University, Westminster Hall, Suite 110, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 3K7 (cheques payable to Western University), or by calling 519-661-4200.
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(Donated to Dr. Argyrios Margaritis Memorial Scholarship at Western University)
(Donated to Dr. Argyrios Margaritis Memorial Scholarship at Western University)
(Donated to Dr. Argyrios Margaritis Memorial Scholarship at Western University)
(Donated to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church)
(Donated to Dr. Argyrios Margaritis Memorial Scholarship at Western University)
I was sorry to hear of the passing of Dr. Margaritis. He was a very nice and caring person. I often remember the help and guidance he gave me as a graduate student. I will always be thankful to have known him. My sincere condolences to your family for your loss.
Dear Gerry, You will be missed so much in all the departmental meetings, theses examinations, and occasional informal meetings in our offices. Your passion for the profession and life in general and love of philosophy made a unique person that you were. You were a scholar, and I had so much joy talking to you on different topics. Thank you so much all the valuable advice you gave us when we were very new to the department. Our gratitude for what you had dome for the department and so many of your students. Now you have another abode where you rest in peace.
Dear Mary and Family, We wish to express our deep sympathy for the loss of your husband, father, pappou and friend. Over the years we had the honour of meeting Argyri whether it be at church, socially or through the Pan Macedonian Association. He was kind, engaging and a true gentleman. May he rest in peace and his memory be eternal.
Dearest Athena and family, Our deepest sympathies and sincerest condolences . I am forever grateful to your dad for help and guidance he provided me in my career at UWO. Family Popovic
As a former colleague of Argyrios at Western in the mid-1980's, I send my deepest sympathy to his wife Mary and his family.
It is a sad day. Dr. Gerry was a joyful and enthusiastic participant in Western's Masters of Environmental Sciences program for many years. I always looked forward to having chats with him about how to best elevate the training of our students. There will be generations of students influenced by his contributions.
My deepest condolences to your family for the loss of a husband and a father. May his memory be eternal.
Dearest Mary and family, We were so very sorry to hear of your loss. Our deepest sympathy to all of you at this difficult time. May his memory be eternal.
My deepest condolences to the Margaritis family. Dr. Margaritis was kind, caring, thoughtful, and compassionate. He was a great person, always willing to help others and everyone he interacted with will remember him as such. My thoughts and prayers go out to you. May his memory be eternal.
Mrs. Margaritis and family, my thoughts are with you and my sincere condolences. Dr. Margaritis was a great mentor for me when I worked with him in the Engineering lab at Western when I was still in high school. I chose to study Chemical Engineering largely because of his guidance and support. I have many good memories of him. May his memory be eternal.
Our thoughts are with your family. Our condolences in the loss of your husband and father. May his memory be eternal.
Dear Gerry, you were a very dedicated champion of Biochemical/Biomedical engineering education and research. As well, you were a great leader. You chaired the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering for many years and supported me in my role as the Dean. I valued your consul and respected your opinion. May your soul Rest In Peace in your heavenly abode. Together with your family I too will miss you very much. You were my great friend.
I would like to extend my deepest sympathy and sincere condolences to Dr. Margaritis' family. I had the pleasure of being a visiting student in his lab back in 2011/2012. Dr. Margaritis and his family welcomed me in the most warm-hearted way. I am still grateful for his supervision and support, and to this day I treasure the memory of my stay. Dr. Margaritis was an inspiring and passionate researcher, and above all a kind and admirable person. He will be missed.
Our sincere condolences to you all. Karen, Mike, Tino & Liana Boyiakis
My deepest condolences to the Margaritis family and all those impacted by the loss of Dr. Margaritis. I first met "Dr. M" while looking for a summer research position and this turned into a much longer mentorship as he became my supervisor for both my undergraduate and master's theses. Over these 4 years, we spent countless hours debating research strategies, editing papers and preparing course material, during which his passion for research and teaching was always apparent. As a young man with a stutter, Dr. Margaritis was the caring and supportive mentor that I needed to build my confidence. Dr. Margaritis has had a lasting impact on my life and I will not forget him.
I am sad to hear of Dr.Margaritas passing, although I'm heartened to know what an impact he had on so many. I was an engineering student in the mid-1980's and Dr.Margaritas was a stand out! I remember him as a great teacher, but more importantly as a gentle, warm spirit. Even when lecturing about technical matters, he offered a smile or humorous observation, and demonstrated his concern for his students and their future. I also recall his kids coming to work on occasion and running around the office to his mild dismay. We found it rather humorous. We were fortunate to have such a role model and inspiration for how to be in the world. In admiration for a life well lived!
Dr Margaritis was a family friend and my Sunday school teacher. He taught me to read the bible analytically and exemplified the fact that men of science can also be men of God. Heaven has gained an angel. Sincere condolences to his family.
My deepest condolences to his family. I was TA in one of Professors Margaritis courses (Measuring Environmental Changes). I will always remember him as an excellent professor, with a very sharp critical thinking. I will miss him.
Our deepest condolences to all the Margaritis family members on the passing of this great Canadian born in Kastoria. May he Rest In Peace and his memory be eternal.
Gerry, I will miss your friendship and our lunch discussions and remember how proud you were of your family, Greek heritage and career accomplishments. I will always be thankful to you for your orthopedic surgeon recommendation to contact one of your former students; I will remember this gesture every time I take a step.
It was more than a year ago but I just found out about Gerry's passing. Very sad. He was such a lovely guy, a gentleman who had tremendous drive to help people and do good things. I knew him from Research Services at Western then Engineering. He is a big loss.
(Donated to Dr. Argyrios Margaritis Memorial Scholarship at Western University)
(Donated to Dr. Argyrios Margaritis Memorial Scholarship at Western University)
(Donated to Dr. Argyrios Margaritis Memorial Scholarship at Western University)
(Donated to Dr. Argyrios Margaritis Memorial Scholarship at Western University)
(Donated to Dr. Argyrios Margaritis Memorial Scholarship at Western University)
Dear Mary We are both so sorry to hear of the passing of Gerry. We enjoyed meeting and talking with him. We are thinking of you and your family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
We would like to extend our sincere sympathy and prayers to the Margaritis family at this very difficult time. Sincerely, Andreas and Connie Vizirakis
Dear Mary, So sorry to hear of your loss. My deepest sympathies to you and your children. Susan
Our heartfelt condolences to the Margaritis family. - Heidi and Bill Vamvalis
Dr Argyrios Margaritis was a special teacher to many, including me. He had passion about science, research and teaching. He cared about his students and provided them with visionary insight. There is no doubt in my mind, that if it were not for him, I would not have followed the path that I did. You will be missed ΔΑΣΚΑΛΕ! My most sincere condolences to his family. Sakis Mantalaris
Dear Gerry, I was shocked by the sad news on your passing away. It was a great honor knowing you as a nice professor, Departmental Chair, and more recently a colleague for over 18 years. I still remember the numerous meetings we had in your office, sometimes till late evening just less than a couple of years ago when we co-supervised a graduate student together. I was so much impressed by your energy, passion and dedication to your be-loved bio-chemical research. I believe that you are now resting in a peaceful place where I hope that you can continue enjoying your research there, but don't work too hard. Your presence in and contributions to the Department of Chemical/Biochemical Engineering, Western University will be missed and appreciated by us, your colleagues and students. With my deep condolences to your family, Charles
Sending you my deepest condolences, may his memory be eternal.
From the staff at Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer Research Centre Parkwood Institute St. Joseph's Health Care we send our sincere condolences to the family of Argyrios Margaritis. Mary you were a wonderful caregiver to Argyrios. Hold on to the memories and cherish them. God Bless you and your family.
Sending all the family our deepest condolences during this every difficult time. In our prayers
My Deepest Sympathy and condolences to the Margaritis family. In the past, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Gerry on several student research projects of mutual interest. We both shared a love of research and teaching and it was a very rewarding experience.
Dr.Margaritis was a great influence in my life. I studied Engineering for my undergrad degree at Western and during those years he provided me guidance and opportunity that helped shape my career and my life. Dr.Margaritis was my mentor at the "Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer" and bestowed upon me my Iron Ring, which I wear to this day almost 30 years later. It is still a reminder of my obligation to live my life with the highest ethical standards and is a metaphor for who Dr.Margaritis was and the influence he had on the young minds he set on the right path throughout the years. My deepest sympathies and sincerest condolences. He will be missed.
Our deepest condolences for the loss of husband and father. May his memory be eternal. May God grant you peace and serenity and understanding at this very difficult time. 😪
We want to express our deepest sympathies to you. We have known Argyrios for 13 years and have looked after several students together and many students from Braunschweig have had an educational time in Argyios's lab. We have nice memories of him: Twice he visited us in Braunschweig; we met in London and Montreal. In 2009, the Montreal Protocol was closed together with Cuernavaca - London - Braunschweig. It was followed by beautiful enthusiastic experiences, also in Montreal in his old "geitonia", across borders. Argyrie, it was a great educational time with you. Your great overview, your human warmth and of course your deep real Greek mentality. το κάνετε καλά αντίο We miss you. Rainer Krull and Vasso Pavlidou, with Alexandros and Artemis
A very sad day, a pleasant gentle person will be missed but will not be forgotten.
To the Margaritis family, I offer you my sincere condolences on the passing of Gerry. I had the privilege of serving with Gerry on the PEO Awards Committee for many years. Gerry was a stalwart contributing member of the committee. My thoughts are with you all at this sad and difficult time. Sincerely, Michael A. Ball.
Mary, we want to extend our condolences to you and your family for your loss. Sincerely, Jeannie and Michael Sakellis (Connecticut, U.S.)
Dear Gerry, it was a great honor to know you as a colleague in Chemical Engineering at Western University for the past 20 years. You will be greatly missed. I am sure you are now in a much better place. Sincere condolences to the family
As Chair of the Emerging Disciplines Task Force I can say that we will miss Gerry's leadership in the Nano-Molecular Engineering emerging field. Sincere condolences to all his family and friends.
Dearest Mary, Athena and Demitri, I was saddened to hear the passing of your father and husband. I will always remember his words of wisdom he provided to me. He was a staple in the Greek community and in the education centre. I was glad that I had an opportunity to see him last summer. May his memory be eternal. God bless.
I wish to express my condolences to Dr. Margaritis' family. As one of his students in the 1980s he inspired me to pursue the biochemical aspect of chemical engineering. Later in my career, he came forward to offer his advice on difficult projects that I was involved with. I was very lucky to receive so much support. Truly a great man.
It was a great honor to know Dr. Margaritis. We are sending our condolences to the family. May you live long to remember him.
We wish to express our deepest condolences to the whole family.
We send our deepest condolences to the Margaritis family. May he rest in peace.
Our deepest condolences. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
We extend our condolences to the Margaritis family on the passing of Argyris. Memory eternal.
It is with great sorrow that I learned today of Dr. Margaritis' passing. I remember him well, as a man of great honour and integrity. My deepest and most heartfelt sympathy to you Mary, and your beautiful family. ΑΙΩÎΙΑ ΤΟΥ Η ÎœÎΗΜΗ.
My sincere condolences to Dr. Margaritis family. I had the opportunity to work under his supervision as a master student (2006-2009). I am always thankful for his support. May he Rest In Peace.
My sincere condolences to Dr. Margaritis family as well as Western Engineering for this loss. I had the honour of being his Master's and PhD student in Chemical & Biochemical Engineering at Western University. Dr. Margaritis was a respectful, kind, and great people person who taught me that humanity comes before anything else in this world. He was a unique mentor I am forever grateful for in my life. I'll miss you dearly - rest in peace dear Professor Margaritis.
Dear Mary and Athena, I was sorry to read about Gerry's passing. I just wanted to say hello and let you know that I am thinking about you.
My Dear Mary, You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. So sorry for your loss. My heartfelt condolences, Corinne Wester
Dear Gerry It was an honor knowing you as a colleague and friend in the Department of chemical and Biochemical Engineering at Western for the last 14 years. I was always impressed by your passion for research particularly in biochemical/biomedical engineering, your commitment to work as an educator, and your enthusiasm in mentoring our students. All these will be missed but you will be fondly remembered. My deepest sympathies to your family. May your soul rest in peace.
Please accept my sympathy upon the passing of Dr. Margaritis. He was a teacher in many aspects of life. Thirty five years ago he was my Sunday School Teacher at the old Holy Trinity Church on Richmond St. When I attended UWO his office door was always open even though I was not an engineering student. A true gentleman, with an infectious smile and class. May he rest in peace.
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