Obituary of Andreas Zafiropoulos SR

Andreas Nickolaos Zafiropoulos, Sr. Andreas Nickolaos Zafiropoulos, Sr., age 76, peacefully passed away at his home March 27, 2012 after a brief illness. He was born in Zemeno, Corinthia, Greece, on December 13, 1935, to the late Nickolaos and Maria Zafiropoulos. Andreas served as a Lieutenant in the Greek Army in the 45th Mobilization Center, the Ministry of National Defense during the Post-Civil War and Reconciliation of Greece for 3 years. He was a graduate of The Graduate School of Economics and Business Science, University of Athens. He came to the United States and received his Masters of Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University. He returned to Greece with his wife and son and served as the Minister of Agriculture until the Greek Military Junta of 1967. Following that they returned to the United States where he taught at Clarion University and became a U.S. citizen while working as the Marketing Director for Lord Corporation. He also worked on his advanced post graduate studies at the University of Buffalo. Andreas settled in Erie with his family and was a Professor of Entrepreneurial Management at Gannon University for 37 years. He was a pioneer in introducing entrepreneurship in the business curriculum at Gannon. He was instrumental in the design and implementation of the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program at Gannon and was the first full time MBA instructor. He helped frame Gannon University's participation in the Ben Franklin Partnership and the Advanced Technology and Productivity Center that served Northwestern Pennsylvania where he served as Director of Entrepreneurial Development. Andreas served on the Gannon Business Affairs Committee where his significant contributions served Gannon financially. He also co-owned and co-operated the Pennsylvania Motel, formerly in Millcreek on W. 12th Street, and owned and operated Mister Donut on W. 8th Street. He developed, owned, and operated Blue Coral Mobile Home Village, Peach Tree Place, and with an expansion development Summit Mobile Home Village. He was the developer of Gladstone Heights Subdivision and Camelot Subdivision, both in Millcreek. He was an active member and a benefactor of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church where he enjoyed working at the annual Greek Festivals. He also volunteered as a translator with the International Institute. Most of all Andreas enjoyed his family, hunting, gardening, tinkering with his Jaguar, or definitely any challenges. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Fayetta Garner Zafiropoulos, whom he married June 11, 1962; his brother, George Zafiropoulos, of Gladstone Australia; his sister, Katina Nikolopoulos, of Athens Greece; and Olivia Anne Zafiropoulos his granddaughter. Andreas was the father to Andreas Nickolaos Zafiropoulos II and his wife Elizabeth A.; his daughter, Maria Nicole Saunders and her husband Michael F.; three grandchildren: Andreas Nickolaos Zafiropoulos III; Alexander Michael Moran Saunders, and Sophia Maria Olivia Saunders, all of Erie, and many nieces, nephews, and extended family and friends. Friends may call at the Dusckas- Martin Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 4216 Sterrettania Rd. on Friday from 2 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. and are invited to attend a Funeral Service on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, 4376 West Lake Rd. A Trisagion Service will be held at the funeral home Friday at 8:30 p.m. Interment Laurel Hill Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation, 139 W. 8th St., Erie, PA 16501. Enhance your memorial with a slideshow and video