Born: November 30, 1926
Died: March 16, 2008

Reverend George J. Mamangakis was born in New York, NY on November 30, 1926. He was the son of John Mamangakis and Athena Kafatos Mamangakis both of whom emigrated from the island of Crete years before.

He was raised in New York City and attended Stuyvesant High School, graduating in 1944.  He then enlisted in the United States Navy Seabees where his specialty was in Topography and Cartography.  He received an honorable discharge in 1946 and then attended Bloomfield College and the University of Maryland. In 1951 George enrolled at the Theological Academy of Halki in Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey, where he completed his theological studies in 1955.

During the summers of 1953-1955, he went to Mt. Athos for additional theological study, assisted in earthquake reconstruction work on Cephalonia in the Ionian Islands and directed an ecumenical work camp in Macedonia, helping build an Orthodox church in a village destroyed by guerilla warfare.

While enrolled at Halki he taught English to his fellow students including the future Bishops and Metropolitans of Pittsburgh, Denver Crete and Australia, as well as several priests. He was a member of the Halki Alumni Association and served as Vice President and Treasurer at various times.  

In December 1955 he married Stella Kouzoucas. In 1956  George was ordained to the priesthood and assigned to his first parish, Saint Demetrios in Astoria, NY. In 1957, he was assigned to Saints Constantine and Helen Church in Orange, NJ. During his 28 year tenure, the parish grew from 200 to 450 active families, making it the third largest Greek Orthodox church in the state of New Jersey.  

During his years at Ss. Constantine and Helen, Fr. George introduced a voluntary Stewardship Program that accounted for 80% of the church’s operating budget. He also served for eight years as a trustee for Saint Basil’s Academy and as a member of the Standing Committee on Missions for the Archdiocese. Additionally, for nearly twenty years he served as State Chaplain at Greystone Park, the New Jersey State Psychiatric Hospital.

In 1985 he took on his last parish assignment at Saint Nicholas Church in Fort Pierce, FL.  During his tenure he was instrumental in building a new church prior to his retirement in 1990.

Fr. George was the brother of Presbytera Mary Harbatis (Nashville, TN) and Emerald Christakis (now deceased), the father of John (married, three children, Rye, NY); Georgia (married, Williamsburg, VA); Steven (married, three children, Stuart, FL) and Harriet (married, two children, Palm City, FL).