George N. Terzis' Obituary
George Terzis, 71 years old, passed away on August 27, 2023. He was preceded in death by his father, George Terzis, mother, Katherine Terzis, brother, Chris Terzis, and sister, Alexis Terzis. He is survived by his nephew, Raymond, his aunt, Athena Terzis and a host of loving cousins.
George was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He received his undergraduate degree from Duquesne University, and his Doctorate in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD). After a position at Rice University (Houston, TX), he joined the faculty in the Department of Philosophy at Saint Louis University (St. Louis, MO) where he served for 38 years.
Professor Terzis was known at SLU for both the brilliance of his mind and the gentleness of his spirit. His research in the history of philosophy focused on the moral theory of the central philosophers of western civilization: Plato, Aristotle, and the most important philosopher of the European Enlightenment, Immanuel Kant. In addition to teaching and publishing research on these in leading academic journals, Dr. Terzis developed a course, "Biology and Mind", which he taught for decades at SLU to countless neuroscience majors. A genuine lover of wisdom, his research included a book with MIT Press: Information and Living Systems: Philosophical and Scientific Perspectives.
George devoted his life to his calling: he was by temperament and by profession a philosopher. His lectures, which he usually delivered without notes (except for a brief outline written in pen on his hand or arm) contained sentences ordered with perfect grammar arranged in well-formulated paragraphs. Beyond the classroom, he gave countless hours to his students, who describe him as a thinker with a beautiful mind, an excellent mentor, a sweet and gentle person whose high expectations were motivated by genuine care. His character was both kind and tenacious, and he wanted each of his students to pursue thoughtfully with depth and clarity what is true and good and beautiful.
George had a passion for stray cats, a concern for those whose hard work goes unnoticed, and a sense of gratitude for the blessings of this country.
He loved recounting his childhood growing up in the old neighborhood surrounded by cousins and the Greek traditions he learned from family and friends. In grade school and high school, he learned to love libraries and books and ideas, and these became his life's pursuit. He could recall with precise detail particular innings or sequences of plays from the glory days of the Pirates and the great Steeler football teams, and he possessed amazing skill when shooting pool. George lived with a sense of gratitude for the blessings of his family and friends, this country, and the gift of life.
Burial at the Jefferson Memorial Cemetery will follow the funeral service, which will be held on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church, 123 Gilkeson Road, Pittsburgh, PA, at 11AM.
To leave online condolences please visit www.jeffersonmemorial.com
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