George Arvanitis Obituary, Death – George Loukas Arvanitis, an internationally recognized architect and urban planner, died on November 1st at UF Health and Shand’s Hospital in Gainesville, Florida, surrounded by his family. Born 1967, he died 2022. Ottawa residents Loukas and Massina Arvanitis, from Gainesville, Florida, gave birth to him on October 5, 1967. George lived in Canada and Greece until his family landed in Gainesville, Florida, where his father was a famous forestry professor at the University of Florida. Both nations raised George. George started sketching and drawing aged four.
He loved building design. He skipped school in Greece to investigate the famous round White Tower in Thessaloniki. After finding a little youngster alone in front of the tower, the police returned him to his parents in a Jeep, worrying and amusing them. He returned to his parents laughing. After graduating from Gainesville Buchholz, he studied architecture at UF. He received a bachelor in architecture from that school in 1989. After that, he left the University of Florida for Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he earned Master of Architecture and Master of Architecture and Urban Design degrees in 1993. After that, he worked on many projects with international architectural firms, mainly UK ones.
He became known worldwide for his audacious designs, particularly in Europe, the Middle East, and the US. He was notable for building large, complex projects, like the Eleftherios Venizelos National Airport in Athens, Greece. His most notable project was this airport, which currently serves as a gateway to his homeland. George, who loved his family’s history, had built two lovely mountain retreats on family land near the “xorio” to delight his brothers’ families. He continued designing while sick, showing his bravery and adventuresome attitude.
He frequently visited Gainesville, Florida, from his home in Dubai, where he died. He died as Director of Master Planning and Urban Design. He returned to Gainesville to spend his final days with loved ones. His mother, Massina, brother Basilius Arvanitis and sister-in-law Donna of Jacksonville, Florida, wife Georgia, and two children, Lucas and Electra of Dubai, survive him. His mother, Massina, brother Basilius Arvanitis, and sister-in-law Donna survive him. His father, Loukas, died before him.
