Gerasimos Galiatsatos passed away peacefully at his home in Camarillo on Good Saturday, 2010.

Born in Greece, in the village of Troianata on the beautiful island of Kefalonia, Gerasimos Galiatsatos was the younger of 2 siblings. The son of Andronichi Cristoforatos and Vasilios Galiatsatos, at the young age of 19, during the Depression, he left Greece to look for work in Romania.

He worked in a bakery shop in the city of Galati for 20 years. There, during the WWII, he risked his life, providing loaves of bread to some of the local Jewish families.

He was a compassionate man, always willing to listen, always ready to help. In 1944, after the Communist takeover, he was under constant pressure to renounce his Greek citizenship. He was a smart and clever man. Not wanting to antagonize the Communists that were controlling every aspect of everyone's life, he always found a reason to delay conversion to Romanian citizenship.

In May, 1974 together with his wife Eufrosina and his children Iany, Sofia and Spiros, Gerasimos Galiatsatos returned to Greece. This was possible because he never surrendered his Greek citizenship. As the train we were traveling on, crossed a small bridge marking the border of Greece, he burst into tears. He was happy. He was home. He was surrounded by his family.

The happiness was short lived, as Greek border agents detained us. The passport Gerasimos Galiatsatos was using was more than 40 years old. The border agents have never seen anything like it. After a short delay we were allowed to continue our journey. His passport was old, but valid. Every year, he made a full day trip to the capital of Romania, to extend the passport's expiration by one more year.

After a short stay in Greece, he was off to America. For more than 40 years, he kept in touch with his older sister, Stamo Spiratos and his younger cousin Vasilios Cristoforatos , both in the New York area. Stamo provided the legal means while Vasilios provided the material means for our journey to the United States. In New York, at 60, he started a new life. His whole family was there with him.

At a time when most people were contemplating retirement, he was starting a new life in a new land. Always an optimist, he looked for the good side of everything and everybody. He never went to school in Romania, yet he taught himself how to read and write Romanian. One more language was not going to be a problem for him. At times he would combine English, Greek and Romanian words, throw in a couple of signs to get his point across. Amazingly people were able to understand him.

He worked long hours in New York, and in 1992, after a tragic accident took the life of his wife of 52 years, he suffered a heart attack. Multiple heart surgeries followed, but that was not going to stop him.

In January, 2000 he followed his daughter Sofia to California. His sons, Iany and Spiros was already there. He was starting a new life, but for him, that was part of life. At his home he enjoyed gardening, and he was little upset when his vegetable garden was destroyed by gophers. He reasoned that gophers have to eat too.

He was introduced to his first computer, and instantly he was hooked. The whole world was at his fingertips. He enjoyed reading scores of newspapers, and magazines, listening to distant internet radio stations. SKYPE was a welcomed addition to his inventory of gadgets. His contact list still contains more than 100 names all over the world. He had a story for each of his contacts. Always happy stories that will make everybody feel good. Christmas and Easter or just any day of the week he will call distant places just to keep in touch.

Every week he played the LOTTO. Just a few dollars, but he enjoyed the contact with the store clerks more than anything. When he was hospitalized at Saint John's in Oxnard, one day before last year's Christmas, one of the store clerks from Camarillo went to visit him. We were surprised to see that. He was not. He told us a little story about the man, and he smiled. We smiled also. He loved everybody and everybody loved him.

Thirty years ago, he took driving lessons. He did not pursue driving any further. His strong legs were his wheels, and he used them extensively. As soon as six months ago he was walking between 2-3 miles every day. Not fast. Go fast and you will miss life. Go slow, and like a flower opening up to the sun, a new world was there for him.

Gerasimos Galiatsatos loved life till the very end and life loved him. But he could not refuse The Calling. In the Holly Week he answered The Call. The Heaven's Gates were opened for him. At 96 years young, he was ready.

There will be a visitation Fri. April 9, from 6-8 p.m. at Griffin Family Funeral Chapel, 1075 E. Daily Dr. Camarillo. Funeral services Sat. April 10, 2010 at 11 a.m. Griffin Family Funeral Chapel with interment to follow.

Arrangements under the direction of Griffin Family Funeral Chapel 1075 E. Daily Dr. Camarillo; phone 482-1166