Christine Cremidan

Christine (Lamprou) Cremidan, a twin, is a native San Diegan.  Her early education was through San Diego Unified School District; she obtained her Bachelor of Arts at San Diego State University, majoring in Social Science, and her Master of Arts in Education, at Northern Arizona University.

She married Alexander Emmanuel Cremidan upon college graduation, and has been married for 46 years. She taught in La Mesa-Spring Valley School District, until her two children, Nicole Alexis (Galaxidas), and Alexander Angelo wereborn.  She later returned to work, serving as a Reading Specialist. Christine remained active in both her children’s schools serving on the School Site Councils and PTA Boards.  She received the PTA Honorary Award both at Murdock Elementary and Valhalla High School. She continued to present school programs on Ancient Greece at the elementary and middle school level in a number of schools throughout the county.

She has remained active in The Hellenic Cultural Society, for over 35 years, working as a member of the Board of Directors; arranging lectures and cultural trips for 14 years; editing a newsletter, assisting with ordering and cataloging books, requiring contact with Classics Departments across the USA; serving on the Executive Committee for many Hellenic Balls; advising/consulting student projects on Ancient Greece at HiTech Middle School; presenting two lecture programs “Reflections on the 2004 Athens Olympics” and “Greece: A Multi-Faceted Land” at the Mission Valley Library Community Room for the membership and public; supporting the three UCSD Chairs; currently holding the position of Secretary for the Board of Directors; and in 2003, Co-Chairing the Hellenic Ball. In 1994, she was awarded the Aristeidion Trophy.

Community involvement has remained paramount.  In the Mother-Daughter Philanthropic Group, a six-year commitment was required by the National Charity League.  Both Patroness (Mother) and Ticktocker (daughter) volunteered at the Blind Center, Nazareth House for Seniors, Linda Vista Center (youth), ushered at the Old Globe Theatre, Meals on Wheels, and Special Olympics.

While serving as a Teacher and Reading Specialist with the La Mesa Spring Valley School District, colleagues voted her Murdock Teacher of the Year, and she was one of the four finalists for the District-wide Teacher of the Year. Christine coordinated the Everyone A Reader Program for eleven years, involving enlisting 20 adult Tutors, to make a weekly commitment to read with students.  The Program was awarded the Diamond School Award, from the San Diego County Office of Education, for eleven years.  In 2004, Christine was one of four teachers throughout San Diego County awarded the “Hats Off To Teachers” Award. One of her favorite teaching activities was teaching a six week Summer School course in Greek Mythology, which she wrote and designed.

Christine taught Sunday School at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church for 10 years, and served as Co-Director for the Sunday School for 2 years.  Currently, she is serving as Treasurer for the Papanicolaou Scholarship Fund. She participated in the WOW (Women of the Word) Bible Study, and has volunteered at the St. Spyridon Greek Festival, every year, since its inception. She is a member of the Leadership Council for Saint Katherine College, an Orthodox Christian College of Arts & Sciences.

For the last six years, she and her husband, Alex, served on the Grossmont Community Concert Association (GCCA) Board, bringing artists to the East County, from all over the USA and world. Currently, she is a Sharp GrossmontHospital Volunteer and serves in the “Cuddle Up and Read” Program, where new mothers are encouraged and told of the importance of reading to their children.

In 1990, the National Conference of Christians and Jews honored her with the Human Unity Award for community service.

Christine enjoys sharing her Greek culture with family, friends, and community, and has remained a loyal advocate of the precious legacy of the Ancient Greeks. She continues  supporting and participating in groups who share her vision.

 

Peter Demopoulos

1941 – He was born in the village of Ayios Nikolaos near Kalavryta, Greece.

His family miraculously survived the holocaust of Kalavryta in December of 1943, when the adult male population was exterminated and all property was completely burned down.

1956 – He interrupted his high school education in Greece to move with his family for the United States and settle in Pasadena, California. As soon as he arrived, he had to quickly learn English and continue his high school education, managing to graduate in 1960 from Pasadena High School with honors.

1964 – He graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s in Engineering and a minor in Classics. Upon graduation, he received a full scholarship to attend graduate school at the California Institute of Technology.

1965 – He graduated from Caltech with a Master’s in Electrical Engineering and immediately was hired by the Hughes Aircraft Company in Los Angeles. Simultaneously, the company awarded him a Fellowship to continue his education at USC.

1972 – He graduated from USC with the Degree of Engineer in Electronic Communications and continued working at Hughes where he became Department Manager in System Engineering and later Chief Scientist. There he was involved in many research and development projects, from the Surveyor moon landing spacecraft, to the high resolution imaging radars used in space and on aircraft. He retired from Hughes in 1996 and became a technical consultant.

1993 – Having being involved in the Hellenic University Club of Southern California from its early years, he was elected president. He continued the Club’s multi-activity program, managing to raise funds to award annual grants to several institutions supporting Greek culture. As the longest serving president, he expanded the Club’s activities to include theater play performances. A unique feature of these productions was that they were performed simultaneously in Greek and English: The Greek was done on the stage and another set of actors performed the English dialog that was broadcast into headsets.

Now he is very happy to have Zafiris Gourgouliatos succeed him as president of the Hellenic University Club.

In the 1990’s he contributed many of the articles and was the editor of the Los Angeles-based Greek magazine YPER.

In parallel with his many activities, he enjoys editing and translating manuscripts. He wrote the subtitles for several feature films and helped several aspiring authors publish their literary works, both in Greek and English. The rights to a book he edited and translated are now under contract to be made into a motion picture. He organized and edited the 6-volume work by Trifon Tzavalas on The History of Greek Cinema, which was published online at www.huc.org. He is also an approved translator for the Greek Consulate in Los Angeles.

Since his retirement, he and his wife, Vivi, enjoy traveling and discovering new cultures, and also being with their 5 children and their families.

Besides spending time with his family, he enjoys long hikes with friends on the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains.

 

George Karetas

George is married to Patricia, his high school sweet heart from Reading, Pennsylvania and they are the proud parents of daughter Tricia – married to Robert Krantz; and son, Chris. They have 4 grandchildren: Haley, Chris, George, and Nicholas.

George and Patricia have been members of Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church in San Diego County since 1980. George served as a member of its parish council. George is a past president of AHEPA Chapter 505 and currently serves his AHEPA Chapter as its Scholarship Committee Chairman. He is a member of the Hellenic Cultural Society and has also served as a member of its Board. George is a member of the American Hellenic Institute located in Washington, D.C. and is a past president of American Hellenic Institute’s San Diego Branch.

In 1980 George and his family relocated to San Diego from Baltimore so that he could assume a new position with the food service company he was working for at that time. He was responsible for overseeing its food service operations at large public venues such as the San Diego (now Qualcomm) Stadium, the Del Mar Race Track, Los Angeles Forum and other major venues located throughout the western United States. In 1985 he started his own company – Premier Food Services and grew the business into three separate companies. In 1986 Premier also acquired an events catering company, Carriage Trade Catering.  His company has long term relationships and food service contracts with the UCSD Faculty Club, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Bridgepoint Education, MiraCosta Community College, Northrop Grumman and many other business entities throughout San Diego. The companies employ over 250 full time employees and about 500 seasonal employees.

George is a member of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the California Restaurant Association, and the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, where he serves on its Board of Directors.