Konstantinos Stephanopoulos

Konstantinos "Kostis" Stephanopoulos (, 15 August 1926 – 20 November 2016) was a Greek conservative politician who served two consecutive terms as the president of Greece from 1995 to 2005.

Life and career

Stephanopoulos was born in Patras on 15 August 1926 to the lawyer, radiologist, and Member of Parliament , and Vrisiis Philopoulou. After attending the Saint Andrew school of Patras, he studied law at Athens University. He practiced law from 1954 until 1974 as a member of the Patras Bar Association. He served as ND parliamentary secretary and parliamentary spokesman from 1981 to 1985.

As head of state of the host country in the Opening Ceremony, he is the first President of the Hellenic Republic officially declare open the 2004 Summer Olympics of Athens, the Olympic Homecoming of the modern era on 13 August 2004. Stephanopoulos was accompanied by Adjutant to the President of the Hellenic Republic, Colonel Georgios Dritsakos of the Hellenic Air Force.

Stephanopoulos died in Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, on 20 November 2016 at the age of 90. He had been hospitalised three days earlier, suffering from fever and severe respiratory difficulty, which later emerged as pneumonia.

Family Stephanopoulos was married for 29 years to Tzeni Stephanopoulou, who died in 1988. The couple had three children. Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great (21 February 1997) Order of Sikatuna (23 June 1997) Collar of the Order of Charles III (22 May 1998) Grand Order of King Tomislav (3 December 1998) Golden Order of Freedom (1999). Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1999) Collar of Order of the Star of Romania (1999) Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim (24 April 1999) Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (4 May 1999) Grand Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (1 July 1999) Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (21 February 2000) Knight Grand Cross with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (23 January 2001) Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon (18 September 2001) Knight with the Collar of the Order of Pope Pius IX (2002) National Order of Merit (Malta) (5 September 2002) Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (7 June 2004) Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau Grand Cross Order of the Three Stars Received a copy of the key of the city of Tirana on the occasion of his state visit to Albania. Honorary Doctor Degree, Azerbaijan State University of Economics