It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Andreas Pericles Niarchos, M.D., beloved husband, devoted father and grandfather, and accomplished physician, who passed away peacefully the morning of December 8, 2023 at the age of 82.
Andreas was born in the small mountain village of Pefko (Balla) on the border of Messenia and Laconia in Greece. In his infancy, he and his parents contended with the Nazi occupation of Greece and the ensuing Greek Civil War. After Nazis burned his parents’ home, his childhood was spent in the nearby towns of Allaghi and Meligala, north of Kalamata. There, he helped look after his seven siblings and manage the family farm and olive groves.
From a young age, Andreas took on public-speaking roles in his school where he led the school prayers and announcements. He was also a leader in Greek scouting and his troop participated in the national scouting jamboree. Despite his father’s wishes for him to become a teacher and civil servant, a health episode with Andreas’s mother changed his early interest in journalism to medicine, which led him to the University of Athens where he completed his preliminary medical training.
Andreas completed his compulsory military service qualifying as a marksman and serving his two-year tour of duty as a doctor in a Greek military hospital. Afterwards, he left Greece to pursue further medical education in England.
In 1973, Andreas moved to the United States, where he worked at a number of highly regarded medical institutions including Henry Ford Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic, Columbia University Medical Center, Cornell Medical Center, where was Associate Professor of Medicine, and Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, where he became Clinical Professor of Medicine and Chief of Cardiology and established a fellowship program in cardiology.
Throughout his career, Andreas conducted groundbreaking hypertension research as a member of many world-renowned research teams, publishing more than 100 articles in prestigious medical journals and was a Feĺlow of the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians.
Andreas met his future wife, Sophia Pappas, in 1978, and they married in 1981. Sons Pericles and Anastasios were born in 1986 and 1987, respectively. In 1988, they moved to their long-time residence in Upper Brookville, N.Y.
Aside from medicine, Andreas had many passions, including stamp and book collecting. He was also a voracious reader. During his retirement (although he kept working part-time from home until the last year of his life), he was deeply focused on conducting historical research on Greek prisoners at Görlitz, Germany, during the First World War.
Andreas was a serious man and loved working. There were times when he worked three or four jobs simultaneously. He enjoyed simple jokes, the company of close family friends, and pursuing historical research projects. He loved exploring the intricacies of the Greek language, both ancient and modern, as well as sharing his love of history and science with others.
In the later years of his life, Andreas demonstrated fortitude, resilience, and courage as he endured multiple health challenges.
Andreas lived up to the standard set by his father. Coming from humble beginnings in a rural village in Greece, he established himself and provided abundantly for his family in the United States, embodying the American Dream and leaving a legacy of love, dedication, and achievement.
He is survived by his loving wife Sophia and their sons Pericles and Anastasios (Kirstin); grandchildren Andreas Anastasios Odysseus, Oliver Jean Anastasios, and Eleftherios Anastasios Pericles; siblings Sofia (Ioannis) and Vasiliki; and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his beloved brother Athanasios and sisters Arghyro, Maria, Georgia, and Angheliki.
Visitation will be on Wednesday, December 13, at Fairchild & Sons Funeral Home, 1570 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, N.Y. 11030 from 4-8 p.m.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 14, at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection, 1400 Cedar Swamp Rd., Brookville, N.Y., 11545, immediately followed by the burial at Locust Valley Cemetery, 117 Ryefield Rd., Locust Valley, N.Y. 11560. A luncheon will be hosted at the Niarchos residence, 987 Wolver Hollow Rd. Upper Brookville, NY 11771 after the burial service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Andreas’ name be made to the scholarship fund of the Hellenic Medical Society of New York.
May Andreas’ soul rest in eternal peace.
