Petros Kounalakis: The touching “goodbye” of his daughter at the Ritsona crematorium

Petros Kounalakis, who died on October 28 at the age of 83, was cremated at the Ritsona crematorium.

In a long and moving post on Facebook, although he says: “I also thought about saying a few words. It won’t be very moving, except for the last sentence, maybe, don’t worry” – Xenia Kounalakis’ daughter wanted to say goodbye to him online.

Xenia Kounalaki’s Post

Sharing a photo with the Ritsona incinerator urns, he writes in his post:

“Farewell yesterday at the Ritsona crematorium:

So we came here to say goodbye to our Petran. At first we opted for something completely simple, but thanks to Mr. Antonis Alakiotis, who hosts us here, the ceremony became more glamorous, as Manou said and as perhaps the ceremonies have some meaning, I thought to say a few words. It won’t be very moving, except for the last sentence maybe, don’t worry. Because Petran was a man who lived a good life and that is a great thing and I wish it for all of us here. He lived with integrity and principles, he left but without being deprived of pleasures and pleasures, without feeling that he is sacrificing himself. A man without much guilt, without complexes, with humor and a capacity for self-sarcasm, without taking himself too seriously, something rare for a politician.

I am obsessed with thinking about my funeral and now I am in his place and I think he would be happy. And with the cremation because he fought for it and Mr. Alakiotis sent me the invoice with his own signature, really very moving and because here we are few and good. Because even though he was a very sociable person, he had something deeply lonely, which I think he probably bequeathed to Manou and me. He really liked being with people, talking, being the center of attention, but in the end he wanted to retire alone, read newspapers, listen to the radio or watch trash TV.

It’s about what happened after his death. A storm of love from people who knew him well, or almost nothing, not only politicians, journalists or his associates but also the waitress who served him in Michel and when we went after the hearse they took him from home to have a drink with her . Ioanna, Alex and I told her, because I often wondered what she was doing, she snorted. We talked to Alexandra about how nice it is for people to make their mark in life and I think maybe his own influence was greater than his work in the sense that he was an MP for less than four years. I realized this from what was written about him. From Dimitris Psaras, who noted his early involvement with Golden Dawn before it was great, immigration, the campaign to legalize marijuana use and gay rights, to Ilias Kanellis’s note about his unwavering pro-European orientation and his hate. to the antisystemic. But also from the belated recognition of his unwavering stance by his former comrades (as Andreas Petroulakis said, he stood firm in his views, Syriza changed) to the unpretentious dismissal of his former political opponents, such as Venizelos, Dora and Adon. .

So I think that as unmatched as it was that he pompously left us on our national holiday, piety, that is, with the irony of luck, the one who throughout his life was accused of being a national bidder, is so appropriate that his funeral- cremation takes place today, here with so few people present, due to the pandemic. Also to say that we had a hard time finding a song to listen to, Manou said Kilaidoni, I was thinking of Asta tamalakia, because something like that was singing in the bathroom, but Tiki tak was rating my heart of Ioanna because they were listening to her, she says. Babi Cherto. And I liked it because it has a lightness that often characterizes it. And it also says of the beating heart, the opposite of Requiem dld.

I want to thank you one by one for being here, it is not difficult because there are few of us, for the support. The duel needs to be shared because otherwise it is unbearable.
I will start with the absent first because we will send them the video and it will be as if they are here, the good thing about the technology. His brothers, Maro, his favorite anorexic brother who when he grew up was killed who eats the most and Kostas, with whom they did their foolish things. Pisco and Marinaki, whom he adored and Emmanuel who also had a weakness, because I think he reminded him of both his dad and his Kostakis.

Dimitris Marakas, who said it is ridiculous to see an 80-year-old crying like a baby and that is why he did not come.
Andreas Petroulakis, partner and friend who became my friend and I thank him for insisting that I start seeing him more so as not to drown in regret. You were right, doc.

My loved ones, now and in the past. Alex who loved him deeply and brought him sweaters from America and Petran bragged that he was wearing J. Crew, Grigoris who supported him and kept him company to the point that he often irritated me, they also made fun of, say, Filippos, Whose father was born on the exact same day and they immediately became friends, astrological twins as Erich Kestner would say.

My friends who are not here today, my Barbie who got sick at the last minute and was her little honorary, my Irene, Alikaki in London, Erofili and Rubini, all my classmates, which is my second family, Marinaki, who also loved him. knew and loved him.
Finally and above all Tea and Agim, who took care of the most difficult of all, to ensure a quality of life in their last years. Their contribution was invaluable, I don’t know, honestly what I would do without them.

From the present the wonderful girls of Grenoble (Grevena), as he made fun of them, Maria and Ioanna, who looks a bit like my older sister. When the sky fell on my head over the Petran proceedings, I called out to her and immediately relieved her existence.
Vasilakis, his close friend, who was an insomniac guard by his side, in brothels and theaters, deaths, afflictions and pains, the definition of friendship.

My two friends, Alexandra, my self proclaimed psychiatrist who has saved me a lot of money because I wear her in the middle of the night and she does a test on my leg and I will probably need her again tonight. My Greek, that we are together from Kurs until today, at weddings, funerals and referendums.

My Manouki, who gave him the 22 most beautiful years of his life with an incredibly lively relationship, to the point that he went to the end alone and found him with the old group and had a great time, as he told me. The last time we saw him together and he was joking even though he wasn’t in a crazy mood, he was trying to get him to talk to her and we weren’t quite sure if he was listening, if he had lost a little and was saying “Grandpa, do you remember that you won an award? ? hula hoop in Hamburg? “and he answers harshly: In Hannover. And we die laughing.

Finally, Airalin, our little favorite who grew up with Manou, present at Manos Diego’s christening, maid of honor at Elli’s second wedding and now here, she closes a circle and opens a bigger and more beautiful one for you, our little ones.

And Tzinaki, who left her own problems and came here to be with us because she raised Manou and in this difficult moment wants to be with her again. And she has promised me that when we grow up we will go together to her father’s fishing village in the Philippines and light bonfires on the beaches and everything will be magical before we disappear.
Well that’s what he had to say and I don’t think he was very psycho.

But now the saddest proposal because Petran from where he was in the forest was launching a drama to bring us all to our level. This shirt I’m wearing is from Mom. And he had brought it from Paris. This is my last chance to say goodbye to my parents. “

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