Daughter of St-Laurent mall crash victim continues his legacy, sharing his wisdom online

In one word, Montrealer Maria Spanakis would describe her father as: Magical.

And that magic could be felt through the screen when looking at the Facebook posts she’d share with the hashtag #mypapageorge – documenting their adventures together.

On April 19, though, the father-daughter duo had to share their final goodbyes. George Spanakis succumbed to his injuries a few days after being hit by a car in a Saint-Laurent mall parking lot.

His daughter is continuing to share his legacy, hoping Montrealers and beyond are inspired by the kindness, patience, and compassion of papa George.

“Whenever things got tough, he would always say, ‘κουράγιο και υπομονή,’ courage and patience. That’s what gets you through it,” Maria explained.

Born in a small village in Greece, George grew up dreaming of becoming a mechanic.

And he did just that, opening his own shop after immigrating to Montreal in 1963.

“What a handsome man my dad was,” Maria explained while holding a photo of him.

But George’s greatest accomplishment – his family.

Telling Maria not too long ago: “I’m not afraid of dying. I came here, I did what we had to do. And when it’s my time, I will leave.”

On April 17, the 89-year-old finished loading groceries into the trunk of his car in the Place Vertu parking lot when he and his 97-year-old friend were struck by a vehicle – according to Montreal police, the driver, a man in his 60s, made a false maneuver while backing up.

Her dad’s friend, recovering in hospital.

And Maria explained that her father had to have his left leg amputated – but he didn’t know what had happened when he awoke, only able to communicate through blinks.

What he did know though is that Maria was by his side.

“Just a few minutes before he passed,” she recalled, tearing. “He opened one eye, one eye and one tiny tear came out.”

From teaching her how to braid her hair to how to drive manual, George was filled with wisdom and humor – and Maria shared it with others.

Like this #mypapageorge post back in 2015:

His impact, evident; one young woman loved him so much she invited him to her wedding, Maria explained. And another young man once told him, “I wish you were my father.”

Maria hopes others can learn from the joy he brought into the world.

“He is a beautiful, beautiful human being,” she said, smiling. “Heart of gold.”