Very moving moments unfolded at Alexis Kougias' funeral, when his two children, Maira and Christos, delivered their eulogies. While lawyer Theodoros Mantas also delivered a eulogy.
Relatives, friends, colleagues and clients said their final goodbyes today to the criminologist who died on Friday at the age of 74, after a battle with cancer, at the Church of Panagia Faneromeni in Vouliagmeni. His burial will take place at the First Cemetery.
Alexis Kougia's daughter Maira was particularly emotional during her eulogy, saying that her father was a "great man, a pillar of strength, a source of love and wisdom."
Maira Kougias, speaking in the second person, recalled moments from the past few years. Among them, when Alexis Kougias entered the classroom with a cake and 51 red roses for her birthday. "I will never forget the fireworks, the balloons and the beautiful moments we have spent together. I will never forget seeing you with a bouquet in the front row at every student performance," she said.
The funeral of Kougias' daughter
He made special mention of his love for his children. "I will never forget how much you loved me and Christos. You were the first person to love me that much. We were your first priority, the reason you fought every day, and you never gave up," he said.
For her, Alexis Kougias was a fighter, “a man so strong, a man who fought.” “You will forever be a winner for me,” she concluded.
Christos Kougias: "He had set a goal in his life, to become a legend and he did"
Christos Kougias described his father as a fighter, stating that despite the battle for his health, the deceased "fought to continue going to the courts, to continue going to the stadiums."
"He fought the last battle to do what he loved. My father, despite his achievements in all fields, never forgot where he started. He knew what it meant to have nothing. Back then, he had nothing to lose," he said.
"He had set a goal in his life, to become a legend. And he did," he emphasized, saying that despite the years that passed, Alexis Kougias "never lowered his head. He did not change his lifestyle, he never hid. He looked everyone in the eye without exception. Despite his success, publicity, financial standing, he did not stop. He did not change his personality. Throughout his career, he was the same person he started with."
"Dad, rest assured I won't stop until I succeed. I have a moral obligation to you and Myra. I will keep everything you taught me forever. You are the best teacher I could have. I'm not ready for the rest. But I will do my best so that you can look down on me and be proud of me. I won't say goodbye, but see you again," he said.
Source: protothema
