Mixalis Panayiotis Terzis ’74 *76

Mixalis was born in Mytilini on the Greek island of Lesbos and came to the United States on a scholarship for promising Greek students. After spending two years at Staten Island (N.Y.) Community College, he joined our class in 1972. He majored in aeronautical and mechanical engineering, lived with Artouros Zervos, and joined Stevenson Hall, where he met Ginny Farrar ’74, whom he married in 1975.

Mixalis earned a master’s degree in engineering at Princeton and then went to work at Ford Motor Co. In 1979 he moved to Greece to join Hellenic Petroleum Co., where he served as large-project manager, engineering section head, and project manager.  

Mixalis and Ginny had three children, Lucy, Panayiotis, and Stavritsa. They divorced in 1988, and Mixalis married Vassiliki Moukriotou, with whom he had two daughters, Ioanna and Olga. In Litohoro, Mixalis built his dream house, complete with surrounding orchards and vineyards from which he produced his own wine and olives.

Mixalis’ vision, work ethic, determination, energy, and quirky sense of humor made him unique. He is survived by his mother; two brothers; his good friend, Ginny Farrar Balser ’74; his five children; and his devoted wife, Vassiliki.