Tributes are flowing today for prominent Greek Australian, Christos Tsirkas, who passed away on Sunday, January 1 this year.
Mr Tsirkas was awarded Life Membership to the Australian Labor Party in 2017 and was an active participant in the union movement, multicultural community radio and PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist Movement).
In a statement following Mr Tsirkas’ death, the former leader of Greece’s PASOK Party, George Papandreou, paid tribute to the “tireless fighter for democracy, social justice and the rights of Ecumenical Hellenism.”
“He was a person of universal acceptance and enjoyed unlimited respect. He served his fellow men tirelessly and selflessly throughout his life. His contribution and his struggles will give us strength to continue our course,” Mr Papandreou added in his statement.
Greece’s General Secretary of Public Diplomacy and Hellenism Abroad John Chrysoulakis also sent his condolences.
“He will be remembered by all of us as a man who worked hard and with great consistency in many areas: In the commons, in the Church, in Culture, in Letters and Arts, in multicultural community radio, in trade unionism,” Mr Chrysoulakis said.
“His actions and honesty, as well as also his permanent care towards his compatriots and the Greek community, are the reasons why he was so highly regarded and so widely accepted within the community in Australia.”
