Spring Break
Family, friends bid 'Taki' farewell at funeral service
Stephanie Takach
Issue date: 4/17/09 Section: News
Saying goodbye to a legendary man takes compassion, strength, honor and a touch of humor- all qualities the late Drexel University President Constantine "Taki" Papadakis stood for.
Over 700 family members, friends and colleagues joined Eliana and Maria Papadakis April 14 at St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church in Broomall, Pa. to bid farewell to Papadakis.
"[He] lived for helping others, for his dreams, for Drexel," Maria Papadakis said of her father. "Maybe God wanted a University up in heaven, and God wanted the best man for the job," she said.
"If ever a man built a legacy great enough to soften the blow of losing him, it was Taki," Richard Greenawalt, chairman of Drexel's Board of Trustees, said. "He made Drexel, and us, better."
Papadakis, who died unexpectedly from pulmonary complications April 5, was a man that could see opportunities that others could not see for themselves, Greenawalt said.
Papadakis' vibrant approach in transforming Drexel to the top-ranked University it is today is something that is unforgettable. Greenawalt said that financial stability, unprecedented growth, a medical school, a law school, a wireless campus and a Sacramento campus all happened while Papadakis was at Drexel.
"Taki's genius was in executing his vision," Greenawalt said.
Manny Stamatakis, chairman for the board of Drexel's School of Medicine, remembers when he first met Papadakis and told him he was a committed Penn State University alumnus. Papadakis said, "Of course," to Stamatakis, and continued to explain what he wanted Stamatakis to do at Drexel. Stamatakis followed Greenawalt and said Papadakis was a true Renaissance man and visionary who could see opportunities where others only saw risk.
"Taki was bigger than life itself," Stamatakis said.
Maria Papadakis revealed to the guests at the funeral her family's set of rules, or the "Papadakis Laws." The first, she said, was, "Believe in miracles, but don't try to schedule them."
Over 700 family members, friends and colleagues joined Eliana and Maria Papadakis April 14 at St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church in Broomall, Pa. to bid farewell to Papadakis.
"[He] lived for helping others, for his dreams, for Drexel," Maria Papadakis said of her father. "Maybe God wanted a University up in heaven, and God wanted the best man for the job," she said.
"If ever a man built a legacy great enough to soften the blow of losing him, it was Taki," Richard Greenawalt, chairman of Drexel's Board of Trustees, said. "He made Drexel, and us, better."
Papadakis, who died unexpectedly from pulmonary complications April 5, was a man that could see opportunities that others could not see for themselves, Greenawalt said.
Papadakis' vibrant approach in transforming Drexel to the top-ranked University it is today is something that is unforgettable. Greenawalt said that financial stability, unprecedented growth, a medical school, a law school, a wireless campus and a Sacramento campus all happened while Papadakis was at Drexel.
"Taki's genius was in executing his vision," Greenawalt said.
Manny Stamatakis, chairman for the board of Drexel's School of Medicine, remembers when he first met Papadakis and told him he was a committed Penn State University alumnus. Papadakis said, "Of course," to Stamatakis, and continued to explain what he wanted Stamatakis to do at Drexel. Stamatakis followed Greenawalt and said Papadakis was a true Renaissance man and visionary who could see opportunities where others only saw risk.
"Taki was bigger than life itself," Stamatakis said.
Maria Papadakis revealed to the guests at the funeral her family's set of rules, or the "Papadakis Laws." The first, she said, was, "Believe in miracles, but don't try to schedule them."
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