Relatives, friends and acquaintances of his family bid the last farewell to the 21-year-old Greek-American Andreas Giannitsopoulos, who passed away after the fatal collapse of the apartment building in Surfside, Florida, in the Church of the Annunciation in Houston on Saturday morning as reported by The National Herald.
The 21-year-old’s father, Konstantinos, his mother, Tina, and his sister, Athanasia, along with his grandparents, attended this sorrowful service.
However, those who attended the funeral could not believe that Andreas passed away, having been in the wrong place at the wrong time: He had visited his godfather in Surfside and had planned to leave just a few hours before when the building collapsed.
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America was represented by Bishop Apostolos of Medeia, who traveled to Houston to perform the funeral service.
He extended his condolences to the family of the 21-year-old and conveyed the message of Archbishop Elpidophoros, who had also made a relevant post on social media.
“As Andreas Giannitsopoulos is laid to rest today, our hearts and minds are with his family, and with all those who perished in the building collapse in Surfside, FL. May God grant them all consolation in their ineffable sadness, and may his memory be eternal”, said the message of the Archbishop.
As Andreas Giannitsopoulos is laid to rest today, our hearts and minds are with his family, and with all those who perished in the building collapse in #Surfside, FL. May God grant them all consolation in their ineffable sadness, and may his memory be eternal.
— Elpidophoros (@Elpidophoros) July 10, 2021
Finally, the family of Andreas Giannitsopoulos once again expressed their gratitude to the rescue teams, who made great efforts to find survivors in the wreckage of the apartment building and reiterated their support to the families of the victims.