After leaving full-time work, Spyros Korosidis donated years of his time towards community work and was a prominent figure to everyone in the Melbourne Greek community and beyond.
Spyros Korosidis passed away the day before yesterday at the age of 91, scattering grief in the community. An active, happy and beloved man who has participated in a multitude of community organisations, congresses and committees. He has served as president of community organisations and committees, many of which have been founding executives.
Korosidis participated for 20 years in the Red Cross Financial Aid Committee, in the Greek Community of Melbourne, in the Greek RSL Melbourne Branch, in AHEPA and in the National Anniversary Celebration Committee. He also participated in the committees for the organisation of radio rangers in support of the Victorian fire and Cyprus Struggle Committee.
Korosidis said in a recent interview that a milestone in his long journey within the community and national issues was his participation in the 1981 Pan-Macedonian World Congress in Thessaloniki, with former Greek President Konstantinos.
In 2016, he was honoured with the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) medal for his contribution to Australian society.
Spyros Korosidis was born in the village of Aloro in Almopia, where, due to German occupation and civil war, it had many difficulties. He decided to migrate to Australia in 1954 with his wife, Kyria Vera.
Greek Community of Melbourne President Bill Papastergiadis released a statement following the death of Spyros Korosidis.
Bill Papastergiadis Statement:
I have known Spyros since the first day of my presidency. He was generous and warm in his approach to me. We quickly became friends. He would often ring me with advice. I would always listen and when I had something to say in return, he too would carefully listen.
I enjoyed the fact that we could communicate honestly and openly. I valued his advice and friendship.
I thought he would live forever. He was in his early 90s and he was still upright and fit. I said to him late last year “Spyro, are you going to Greece in 2020?” he replied as he normally did “Of course I am going, there is nothing wrong with me”
He would come to my parents’ house with so much food cooked by his wife. I said to Spyros, “with all of this food, how do you stay so trim?”
He replied “I don’t eat it, we bring it to you!!!!”
At each election of the board of the Greek Community of Melbourne, his wife would bring to us many trays of tiropita. It helped give us the energy we needed for those tough days!
He would tell me how much he loved Greece and his Macedonia and how each summer, he would live with his daughter in Athens. I asked him, “did you take the main bedroom of your daughter’s apartment in Athens”. He replied, “in summer in Athens, you don’t need a bedroom. I had a foldout bed for the balcony. I slept outdoors all summer.” I envied his strength.
