St. Paul, MN - George A. Dendias passed away on Dec. 23, 2025, in St. Paul, Mn.

Born in Corfu Greece, July 6, 1930, to Katerina and Athanasios Dendias, his early years were happy ones with his parents and younger sister, Susana. During the chaos of war and occupation by the Italians, then the Germans, his mother died, and the family fled to Epirus, on the mainland. The family of three returned to Corfu after the war to find their house burned down. Although their lives were difficult, George thrived as a serious student, a theme that was life long. He earned a degree at Athens University of Economics and Business, followed by work in several industries. In 1963, he left Greece to pursue an advanced degree in business at the University of Minnesota. Perfecting his English allowed him to pursue his interests in music, dance, theater, meditation, and yoga.

While studying, he worked several part-time jobs, including a stint as a busboy in the heyday of the Lowell Inn. His lack of cooking skills meant weekly visits to Greek restaurants, Garden's of Salonica, Christos and It's Greek to Me where, as a friend said, "George held court several times a week!" It was there that he made his dearest, lifelong friends who saw him through his last days.

As he pursued a spiritual understanding of life, George became part of the Greek Orthodox church communities at St. Mary (Mpls.) and St. George (St. Paul), as well as Common Ground Meditation Center retreats run by nuns in St. Paul, and another in Arizona run by Greek monks.

George's professional life included accounting, administrative and management work for the Carlson Companies, as well as for several departments at the University of Minnesota where he added to his community of friends. He also taught Greek in both schools and churches and helped prepare students going abroad to Greece. His close friend, Dr. Theofanis Stavrou, whom he visited often to discuss Greek history and culture, summarized "Even though his involvement with the University was more administrative than academic, he nevertheless had strong academic interests, and he pursued them in a gentle but firm way." He attended lecture series on Greek history, modern culture, Eastern Orthodoxy, and retained ALL that he learned in great detail.

Once retired, George had more time for teaching and attending Greek-focused events and many arts and cultural performances. He loved music, had a fantastic voice and experienced pure joy in anything musical. He was a beloved member of his Franklin Avenue condo community. He was also a regular at the Birchwood Café, Seward Co-op and other local cafes where he made and kept friends. He reluctantly moved to Episcopal Homes at the end of Covid where he at once became a staff favorite for his kindness and interest in each person that cared for him. He was known for his sense of humor and his ability to remember the names and details about each person from nursing aides and dining room staff to the managers whom he dogged with detailed requests. After an unfortunate fall and hip fracture, he spent his last weeks surrounded by caring staff, long time friends and those who loved him as their own family.

George is survived by sister's family in Greece: Sotiria, Thanassis and Costas Apostolopoulou and cousin Yvonne Vassilatos in the US.

He was buried, in the Greek section at Roselawn cemetery on Dec. 26 after a private funeral at St. George Greek Orthodox Church.

There will be a Celebration of George's Life, Friday, April 3, from 3:00 - 7:00 pm at St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church, 3450 Irving Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN, with a program of shared memories and stories beginning at 5 pm.

To honor George's life and love of education, memorials may be sent to the Nolte-Miller Scholarship Fund 2312 at the U of M Foundation or to the cause of your choice.