President Nicos Anastasiades will attend the funeral in London of property tycoon Chris Lazari on Saturday, a man he praised for his rags-to-riches success and whom he described as “my most dear friend and our distinguished compatriot.”
Lazari, who died on Sunday aged 69, emigrated as a young man from Limassol to England during difficult times and managed, through his creative spirit and industriousness, and by making the most of his business ingenuity, to become one of the most distinguished businessmen in the clothing industry and subsequently in real estate investments.
Anastasiades said “he was an active member of the Cypriot community of London, serving his homeland in every way and at every opportunity. He was, throughout his whole life, a sensitive recipient of requests from the homeland and he always served our country, in his own way, without hesitation.”
The President said Lazari’s charity work and the support for those suffering undeservedly, “was one of the qualities that defined his character. He made an important contribution to public charity, which, however, he managed to keep with modesty away from the public eye.”
The funeral will take place on Saturday, August 1, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of All Saints on Camden Street, London.
Constantly ranked among the top five of the Greek Rich List, a spinoff from the Sunday Times Rich List of the wealthiest people in Britain, Lazari headed a family-run property company, whose portfolio included prime real estate and assets in the West End and the business areas of London.
Born in Dhora village near Limassol, Lazari left Cyprus at the age of 16, when he discovered that his ‘parents’ were actually his foster parents.
“I was in my third year at the Lanition Gymnasium of Limassol. “I boarded the MV Messapia and sailed to England. The rest is history,” he had said in an earlier interview.
Although he has spent most of his life in the UK and visited Cyprus only for a holiday and to see family and friends, his village and Cyprus were always in his mind. “I love the place and adore the people,” he said.
His ultimate dream was to see Cyprus reunited, which is why he offered to charter a private jet to help President Anastasiades during his travels to other countries in the past two years, mainly due to the financial crisis and the ability of the government to undertake this expense on its own.
