WASHINGTON, DC — It is with great sadness that the Washington Oxi Day Foundation announces the passing of Panagiotis M. Sakellaris, recipient of the first Oxi Day Greatest Generation Award. He received the award on behalf of Greek WWII veterans. Sakellaris passed away unexpectedly and peacefully on January 30 at the age of 98.

Sakellaris, who was born in Vassara, Sparta, Greece on June 7, 1914, was honored by the Washington Oxi Day Foundation for his courageous service during World War II. He, former Senate Majority Leader and presidential candidate Bob Dole, and Andrew A. Athens were presented with the Greatest Generation Awards on October 27, 2011 at a ceremony at the National World War II Memorial before an audience of policymakers, military officials, ambassadors and officials from Allied nations, his Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, friends and family.

Sakellaris joined the Greek military at the age of 21. Following the Axis invasion of Greece in October 1940, Sakellaris was called to active duty and deployed to the Albanian front where he played a key role in the successful counter offensive against the invading forces.

During the war, Sakellaris, nicknamed “The Last Horseman,” served as a highly trained forward observer on horseback. His assignment was to conduct reconnaissance in advance of troop movements to be sure the rest of the troops could move forward in safety. In this role, he was in constant danger of being discovered by the Axis troops and his small reconnaissance group was often left largely defenseless before the remaining troops in his division could arrive. Sakellaris exhibited great courage and valor in his service to Greece, yet when asked about his service, he humbly recounted, “When your country needs you, you just do it.”

Sakellaris is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 72 years, Areti Spiropoulou Sakellaris, his 4 children and their spouses who include Pota and Leonidas Pappas of Sharon Massachusetts, Helen and Peter Canellos of Squantum Massachusetts, George and Caterina Sakellaris and Arthur and Betsy Sakellaris of Milton Massachusetts along with his16 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. One of nine siblings he is survived by his sister, Metaxia Koufos of Vassara Sparta and two brothers; George Sakellaris of Melbourne Australia & John Sakellaris of Chicago Il.

Calling hours will be held Sunday afternoon February 3 at St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church of Braintree, Massachusetts from 3:00-7:00pm. Funeral Services will be held Monday morning at 11:00am, February 4 at St. Catherine Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Panos’ memory to St. Catherine Church which outside of his family, was the focus of his life.

The family said in a statement about Sakellaris, “We hope you will join us in honoring Panos’ life. To us he represented the embodiment of the Greek spirit. Noble in two countries, a WWII veteran who gave service to his country for freedom and democracy, a humble and honest man with integrity, he educated and passed these qualities on to his children — his legacy will live on.”