Matti Egon Xylas (photo credit: Katerina Kalogeraki).
In Memoriam: Matti Xylas-Egon (1935 – 2020)
Matti Egon passed away in mid-October, and her absence is palpable after all she has given and contributed. Born into a Greek shipping family, Matti was mainly brought up and educated in England, but was passionate about her homeland’s cultural heritage.
She soon became a major philanthropic benefactor. She was a very active supporter of King’s Centre for Hellenic Studies, of the Anglo-Hellenic League, and of the Greek Archaeological Committee UK, to name just the contributions she made to the UK’s scholarly and cultural environment.
With her second husband, the painter Nicholas Egon, she founded the Runciman Lecture at King’s and secured its lasting legacy. She graced innumerable events with her warm presence and was a consummate host herself. She led a rich and giving life, and she will be deeply missed by her vast circle of friends and acquaintances in Greece and in the UK. The picture above left shows Matti in attendance at the 19 November 2019 GACUK lecture .
Today, the Kathimerini newspaper devoted a special feature to Matti and her humanitarian work, which you can read here:
https://www.kathimerini.gr/
CHS will plan an appropriate occasion to commemorate Matti, in the comfort of each other’s presence, as she would have preferred it.
May her memory be eternal.
Gonda Van Steen, Koraes Chair
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/
King’s College London
Dept. of Classics and Centre for Hellenic Studies
___
N.B. We at allaboutshipping have attended and covered here in most of all these events initiated by the late Matti Egon Xylas and we will revert with unique pictures.
