ATHENS – Students, friends, colleagues, and family gathered at Athens’ First Cemetery on November 9 to honor the memory of Steve Medeiros, who had recently retired as Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of the Institute for Innovation and Creativity at the American Community Schools (ACS) of Athens, where he served for 37 years.

Pascal Apostolides, on behalf of his fellow ACS Board members, said “words are not enough” to do justice to the life and education career in of Medeiros. Several speakers noted that not only his professionalism and dedication to excellence but also the love he felt for students and colleagues made a great impact on the lives of many people who will deeply mourn him.

Karen Lee, past chairman of Democrats Abroad – Greece, said “that there are so many people in this room today reflects the love he gave to all, coming back.”

It was an especially poignant day for the ACS family because they recently also bade farewell to its President Dr. Stephanos Gialamas, who died suddenly at the age of 64 on October 18.

Madeiros was a key member of the team that enabled Dr. Gialamas to raise the famous international school to new heights.

Medeiros earned a B.A., magna cum laude, in English from Yale, an M.A. in English and American Literature from Middlebury (including a semester’s study at Lincoln College, Oxford University), and an Ed.M. in Teaching, Curriculum and Learning Environments from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has also completed post-graduate study at the University of California – Berkeley (Extension) and Northeastern University, and earned a Certificate in International School Leadership from the Principal’s Training Center.

During his lengthy and honored career as an educator, Medeiros was a teacher, department chair, principal, curriculum and human resources director, and dean.

For many years he was also an adjunct faculty member in English Literature and writing at the University of Laverne, Athens.

Madeiros had recently written that “during the past decade, the major focus of my work has been on institutional innovation, leadership development and inquiry – and research-based teaching and learning. I am passionate about the power of education as a transformative force for good in society.”

He arrived in Greece in 1981 for a two-year stint as a teacher. He met his future partner and husband, Dr. Anthony Rompos, in 1982.

A member of Democrats Abroad Greece since 2010, he served as a member of the Executive Committee for four terms – as Counsel, Athens Chapter Chair, and Vice Chair. He participated in numerous international meetings of Democrats Abroad and was a member of the DA International LGBT and Progressive Caucuses.

One of his most memorable intellectual experiences was the semester he spent studying and writing poetry in a workshop led by Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney.