ATHENS – [GNUSA, ANA-MPA]
Margarita Papandreou died peacefully in her home on September 18, a few days short of her 103rd birthday, following a prolonged period of ill health.
Born as Margaret Esther Chant in Oak Park, Illinois, USA, on September 30, 1923, she initially studied journalism and later completed her master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Minnesota, where she met her future husband, Andreas Papandreou, in 1947. They lived together in Minnesota and then in California, where Andreas Papandreou served as Chairman of the Department of Economics at the University of Berkeley. The couple married in a civil ceremony on August 30, 1951.
She was Andreas Papandreou’s second wife, from 1951 until 1989, and they had four children: George, Sophia, Nikos, and Andrikos Papandreou.
Chant Papandreou settled in Greece in 1961 when Andreas began his political career, experiencing firsthand the turbulent period that led to the 1967–1974 military dictatorship. She worked effectively to secure his release in December 1967, after which the family moved first to Stockholm, Sweden, and later to Toronto, Canada.
She returned permanently to Greece with Andreas in 1974 after the restoration of democracy, and immediately became active within the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), contributing significantly to the struggle for women’s rights.
She played a pivotal role in promoting, drafting and passing legislation that improved the social status of Greek women,including the abolition of the dowry (1982), the legalization of abortions (1986), the introduction of civil marriage (1982), the legalization of divorce by mutual consent, the right of women to retain their maiden name after marriage, and equal parental custody rights.
She founded and served for eight years as president of the Union of Women of Greece (E.G.E.), taking an active part in women’s issues and peace initiatives. She was also the author of numerous articles and books.
The civil funeral of Margaret Papandreou will take place on Sunday, September 20, at 11 am at Athens First Cemetery.
“With deep sorrow we bid farewell to Margarita Papandreou, our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who passed away this morning,” her son George Papandreou, the former Prime Minister of Greece, said on Facebook.
He called her a “fighter to the very end” who had “a profound faith in humanity, in justice, in peace and in the equality of women”.
“My beloved mother, Margarita, passed away this morning after a difficult night. She leaves behind a void, but also the responsibility for me to remain faithful to the principles she taught me”, Nikos Papandreou, member of the European Parliament, said in his statement.
He emphasized that “she lived through all of PASOK’s victories and defeats, founded the Union of Women of Greece, and with persistence brought changes to the country that adopted her”.
“I think of how, in the most difficult moments, she always had a calm and wise word for me — something that soothed me, probably because she had seen everything. For us, her children, and for Andreas, she was the lighthouse in the storm”, he noted.
The President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas expressed his heartfelt condolences on the death of Margarita Papandreou, emphasizing that “She loved Greece deeply. She was the wife of a prime minister and the mother of a prime minister, but above all an active citizen, as she regarded public affairs as her own”.
“It is with sadness that I learned of the passing of Margarita Papandreou. A dynamic woman who left her own mark on public life, especially through her work for gender equality and the protection of motherhood”, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a post.
“As the wife and mother of prime ministers, she often found herself at the center of our modern political history. Yet throughout her long journey, she chose to follow her own distinct path — always with discretion and always with dignity. To her family and loved ones, I extend my sincere condolences,” the Prime Minister concluded in his post.
“Margarita Papandreou linked her name with the struggle for women’s rights and social progress”, Nikos Androulakis emphasized in his condolence statement on her passing.
The president of PASOK–Movement for Change noted that “through her assertive public presence, she contributed to the reform of Family Law, to equality, and to the emancipation of women at a time when securing these rights in every aspect of social and economic life was far from self‑evident. She played a leading role in founding the Union of Women of Greece (E.G.E.), of which she served as President”. He added that “her personal journey alongside Andreas Papandreou was intertwined with the milestones of a period of political, social, and institutional transformations that shaped modern Greece”.
“We bid her farewell with respect”, Androulakis said, expressing his sincere condolences “to George, Sophia, Nikos, and Andrikos, as well as to her beloved grandchildren”.
According to reports, Androulakis also contacted George Papandreou by phone to personally convey his condolences.
