The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

BEREAVED relatives are determined to celebrate the rich legacy of renowned Greek-Bahamian patriarch Alexander Maillis following his death over the weekend.

Mr Maillis, former senator and World War II veteran, died in his sleep early on Saturday morning. He was 99.

Mr Maillis is survived by his four children, Pericles Maillis, Charles Maillis, Maria Chisnal and Alexandra Maillis-Lynch, ten grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren.

“And two more (great grandchildren) on the way,” said his eldest son, 64-year-old attorney Pericles Maillis, who spoke fondly of his father’s life and achievements.

“We’re going to have many memories and we’re going to miss him but we are going to celebrate his long and useful, interesting life. He left a wonderful legacy, both in human terms, family, knowledge, culture, and ethics, as well as our beautiful farm by the sea.”

Mr Maillis said: “My dad, he was actually more of a Bahamian. He was born here and more Bahamian than anything else but he made sure that the children all learned the (Greek) language. He fully participated in the church and parish life. He was a true child of the new world.”

Mr Maillis was the third son of five children born in Nassau to Greek sponge merchants Pericles J Maillis and Kalliope P Maillis in 1916. The family struggled with the death of Mr Maillis’ father – when he was ten – and the demise of the sponge industry, resulting from economic depression and hurricanes.

Alexander Maillis was graduated as Head Boy at Queen’s College, and then put himself through college in New York city by working in the hotel industry. While in America, he was drafted as a British subject into the US Army and was trained as a paratrooper.

He served in the army for five years, during which time he received a six-month scholarship for his essay titled “Reconstructing Europe”.

When he returned home, he converted the premises of his family’s hotel into a restaurant and nightclub called the Imperial Hotel. The nightclub was credited to have launched the careers of famous entertainers like Blind Blake, Peanuts Taylor and George Symonette, and the restaurant is proclaimed as the birth place of the famed Bahamian cultural staple, the “Cracked Conch”.

During the late 1940s, he purchased the tracts of land in Adelaide that would eventually become the family’s homestead and successful mango orchard.

The former senator ran for parliament as an Independent in 1956, after which he became a founding member of the United Bahamian Party. He ran for parliament twice more in 1968 and 1972 as a member of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP). All attempts were unsuccessful, and he went on to become a member of the PLP’s National General Council and served as a PLP senator from 1972 to 1978.

“When he came back,” said Pericles Maillis, “he didn’t go back into law for a while. He became a lawyer when he was 50. He was a happy bachelor for 33 years, and then married a Floridian, Cally Simeon, and he became a faithful, happy husband and father.”

“He was a wonderful father, Sunday school teacher. He raised us with iron discipline and he compelled us to learn. In his middle age and old age he became a faithful member of the church, and was the President of the Greek Orthodox Church at one time. He is also one of the founders of the Bahamas Christian Council.”

Mr Maillis said: “We strongly believe in the resurrection, we did our duties and no one has any guilt. We all did our duty right to the very end.”

The family has received thousands of messages from well-wishers via phone, email and social media, according to Mr Maillis, who said it was a testament to the impact of his father’s life.

“We were just going over Shakespeare’s ‘The Seven Ages Of Man’,” Mr Maillis added. “My father could quote unending tracts of Shakespeare; he loved it and opera. The emails and FaceBook are jammed with hundreds of messages of condolences from archbishops, bishops, priests, people here and abroad.”

Mr Maillis’ funeral will be held at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church on West Street on October 12 at 11am.