I am saddened to tell you about the Last Flight of one of our regular Flight 9 meeting attendees – George Gianopulos. We will sorely miss his presence.

Although his obituary isn’t currently published, I’ve been given the following information:

George’s viewing will be at Marker & Heller Funeral Home, 5844 Troy Pike, Huber Heights, Sunday January 13th, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Prayers will be at 4:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be at the Annunciation Church, 500 Belmonte Park N, Dayton (near the Dayton Art Institute-where the Greek Festival is held every September), Monday January 14th, 10:00 a.m.

My understanding is that in lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations in his memory be made to either the Annunciation Church or to the Triumph of Flight (c/o Wright Image Group, 1605 N. Main St, Dayton OH 45405)

From the bio I found on line, George lived a very active and fulfilling life. He was very active in the “Triumph of Flight” project and served as the Fund Raising VP.

Born and raised in Springfield Ohio, George became a naval aviator when the Korean War broke out. He flew a variety of fighters, completed active duty, and moved back to Dayton. After two years at WPAFB, he went to work for Projects Unlimited, Inc. for the next 21 years, and worked his way up to VP of Sales. He then went to work for Western Gear/Lucas Aerospace, opened the company’s mid-west Field Marketing Office, and later became the director of all seven of its Field Marketing Offices in the U.S. Seventeen years later, he launched George Gianopulos & Associates where he continued to work as an independent aerospace marketing consultant. George was a multi-faceted individual – as a member of NAMI he was deeply involved in helping substance abusers through AA and NA; as a member of his church, he served on the Greek Festival and Investment Committees, and sung in the choir for over fifty years; as a pilot he indulged his love of aviation by periodically roaring into the air in an SNJ/AT-6. He is a member of the Daedalians, the Wright “B” Flyer, the Old Crows Association, EEMG, DADCA, and AFA. He’s proud of and passionate about our Dayton heritage as the “Birthplace of Aviation!”

Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Volabamus Volamus

Kathy Staiger
Flight 9 Captain