George Stefanou, aged 91, passed away at his home in Wolverine Lake Village. MI, on November 26, 2024. He is survived by his daughter, Jennifer (Kevin) Curry; son, Alex (Terri) Stefanou; sister, Theodora; grandchildren, Nicholas, Michael, Kathleen, Ethan, and Norah; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Nancy; his parents, Vasilios and Despina; and his sister, Antigone.

Born at home in Detroit on March 31, 1933, George was a proud first-generation Greek-American. He attended both Cass Tech and Northeastern High Schools and was the last surviving member of the “Greek Boy Scouts,” a troop supported by the Greek Orthodox Church after local troops refused to admit Greek boys. The group continued meeting monthly in Greektown well into their 80s, until their ranks began to thin.

At 19, George was drafted into the Korean War. After his service, he attended Eastern Michigan University on the GI Bill, becoming the first member of the Stefanou family to earn a college degree. He moved to California after graduating, joining a wave of young educators drawn by the state’s growing need for teachers. George taught history at Norwalk High School in Long Beach and was named Teacher of the Year in 1960.

During his time in California, George became deeply involved in union politics, traveling up and down the coast to organize teachers. He and his roommates lived directly on the beach and were well-known for their parties; and he met Nancy at one of them. After she rejected his second marriage proposal, he sold most of his belongings and moved to Athens, Greece.

In Greece, George taught at the American Community School (ACS) in Kifisia. Nancy eventually visited, they married, and the couple moved to the United States, returning to Greece with their children for a second two year stint at ACS in the 1970s. George earned his Master’s in Counseling at the University of Pittsburgh and worked briefly in Livonia Schools before spending most of his career as a guidance counselor at Walled Lake Western High School.

George believed strongly in the power of education to create a level playing field and improve lives. He was a consummate storyteller, had a legendary sense of humor, and was devoted to his family, who loved him dearly.

Burial services will be private. A celebration of life will be announced at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to University of Michigan’s public radio station, Michigan Public.