Socrates George Sclavenitis

Socrates Sclavenitis, beloved pillar of the Greek community, philanthropist, former history teacher and retired Army major, passed away in his sleep early in the morning of September 14, 2011, after a long illness. Socrates was born in 1939 to Akrivoula and Spyridon Sclavenitis, Greek immigrants to Denver. He remained closely tied to his cultural heritage throughout his life with his involvement in the Greek Orthodox Church, the AHEPA association, and the Greek community. Through his love of storytelling and encyclopedic knowledge of history, he was an endless repository of community tales. He cultivated his knowledge of history through his avid reading, and could always be found with book in hand. He shared this love of history with his students at Kennedy, Henry and East high schools, where he taught during his 14-year teaching career. East High School was also his alma mater ('57), as was the University of Colorado (BA History '61, MA Education '66). He left teaching to take over The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Cherry Creek, where he loved meeting and talking to his customers. After closing the shop, he began devoting more time to those causes he felt strongly about, including the 20th Street Recreation Center, where he was a volunteer boxing coach, and the Denver Center for International Studies, where he served as president of the board for three years. Working with young people and helping them achieve their goals was a manifestation of his generosity towards others. His sense of duty, loyalty and love of country led him to join the U. S. Army Reserve as a young man. He was proud of his 30-year service. Throughout his career he was sent on classified missions with Army Intelligence; he had the strength of character to answer the call of duty and carry the secrets of these missions throughout his life. Soc's kind spirit, generosity and epic sense of humor belied a strong, stoic resiliency that allowed him to face tragedy and adversity with acceptance and grace. He will be remembered as a good father, a good husband, a good friend, a good son: a good man.