A final farewell to Niko Kalogeropoulos The funeral took place on Wednesday, August 12, three days after his death at the age of 74. The state funeral took place at noon at the First Cemetery of Athens, as he himself had requested.
In fact, his family had asked that, instead of wreaths, anyone who wished to do so make a financial contribution to «The Actor’s Home.».
Relatives, friends, associates, and colleagues from the worlds of theater and film gathered at the First Cemetery. Among those in attendance were Apostolos Gletsos, Vana Barba, and Panos Vlachos.
Panos Vlachos hoisted the coffin onto his shoulders
His presence was particularly poignant Panos Vlachos, who was unable to hold back his emotions. As the coffin was carried out, he was among those who lifted it onto their shoulders, accompanying Nikos Kalogeropoulos on his final journey.
The relationship between the two actors had deeper roots. According to reports about how they met, Kalogeropoulos was one of the people who supported Vlachos during his early career. When Vlachos was still performing with an amateur theater group, he came into contact with Kalogeropoulos and shortly thereafter joined his troupe on tour for the play «The Cynics Return.».
Thus, Panos Vlachos’s deep emotion during the farewell was not merely for a distinguished colleague, but for a man who had been closely linked to the beginning of his own journey in theater.
They bid him farewell by singing
The farewell ceremony at the First Cemetery wasn’t just filled with tears. It also featured music—an element deeply connected to Kalogeropoulos’s personality, as he was not only an actor and director but also a screenwriter, poet, and songwriter.
People who were at the ceremony sang some of his songs. Among them was the «I declare that I am a student», while the coffin was bid farewell with prolonged applause and with the «Karaiskakis», a song associated with the movie «The Horsemen of Pylos.».
It was a farewell that most closely resembled what he himself had devoted decades to: theater, music, and the people around him.
The Final Act in Ritsona
Following the state funeral, the body of Nikos Kalogeropoulos was transported to the Ritsona Crematorium.
There, in the presence of relatives, friends, and colleagues, the final farewell ceremony was held, followed by cremation.
And at that very last moment, Nikos Kalogeropoulos had essentially chosen for himself how the curtain would fall.
During the cremation, his song could be heard «In the den of the underworld», with lyrics and music by the artist himself. According to reports, this was his wish for his final farewell.
So, one of his own songs accompanied the final moments of a life that was intertwined with acting, film, music, and writing.
A journey that left a lasting impression
Nikos Kalogeropoulos passed away on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at the age of 74. He was one of the most distinctive figures in Greek theater and cinema, with a presence that transcended the boundaries of acting.
On the big screen, he was associated with films that defined an era, such as the «Learn to read and write, my child», the «Lufa and Variation» and the «Rebetiko», and it also gained widespread popularity through the television series «Camping». For «»Learn to Read, My Child,’ he won the Best Supporting Actor Award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and for «Loufa and Parallagi,» he won the Best Actor Award.
