William G. Mavroides

William George Mavroides, known as Bill to his family and friends and Mr. Mav to generations of Ipswich youth, passed away at Kaplan Family Hospice House on July 12, 2019 with his family at his side.

Born in Newburyport, Mass. on March 5, 1925, he was the son of the late George and Kiriaki Mavroides of Greece. He grew up on Merrimac Street in Newburyport with his brother John Mavroides, currently living in Okeechobee, Fla. and his late sister Anna Lacasse.

After graduating from Newburyport High School he served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II in the European Theater. He returned home and enrolled at Tufts University where he received his bachelor’s degree in physics and math and a master’s degree in education. He became a physics teacher at Newburyport High School for one year before being offered a position at the Air Force Cambridge Research Lab on Great Neck, where he eventually became chief scientist. While working at the AFCRL he continued his education at Northeastern University, where he received a second master’s degree in physics and math.

On April 19, 1953 he married Theodora Geanakos, who he met at a Greek picnic. They settled in Ipswich and were together for 65 wonderful years before Dora passed away in 2018. Bill and Dora were very active members of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Church. Bill headed the Sunday school program at which both he and Dora taught for many years. Bill and Dora also supported the Ipswich community, where  Mr. Mav coached the Tigers of Ipswich Little League for more than 25 years. 

 A highlight every year for their family and friends was the annual 4th of July BBQ hosted at their home on Poplar Street, where Bill manned the grill cooking hotdogs, hamburgers, sausages and Ah-So pork as well as the occasional loukaniko.

After retiring from the AFCRL at age 57, Bill started his second career as a substitute teacher at Ipswich High School and continued until the age of 88. He was beloved by the faculty, administration and the students. In fact, in the early days of Facebook, the students started a Mr. Mav fan club. 

Bill was a devoted father to his two sons, George and John. He is survived by his son John and his wife Joanne (Marcotte) Mavroides of Gloucester, Andrea (Maniatakos) Mavroides, widow of her late husband George, his grandchildren Melissa (Mavroides) Brown and her husband Dana Brown of North Andover, Bill Mavroides and his wife Kimberly of Ipswich, Matthew Mavroides of Lowell and Stephen Mavroides of Waltham, his much-enjoyed great-grandchildren Amanda Brown, Theodore, Felix and Silas Mavroides, his nephews Jonathan Geanakos and his wife Patti, George Mavroides and his wife Sally and Dr. Chris Mavroides and his wife Bonnie.

Bill was a natural comedian; he never met a pun or joke he didn’t like. He loved making cards on his computer for every celebration, and every wall in his house was filled with family photos. He loved a good project and would always try to fix something himself first, no matter how complicated it was. He was a family man who touched the lives of everyone he met. His smile, infectious laugh and genuine caring nature will be missed by all who knew him.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, July 17 at 10 a.m. at the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, 8 Lafayette Road, Ipswich. Burial will follow with military honors in the New Highland Cemetery, 29 Town Farm Road, Ipswich. Visiting hours will be Tuesday, July 16 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Morris Funeral Home, 45 North Main Street, Ipswich. A donation in Bill’s name can be made to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 6, Ipswich, MA 01938.

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