From George A. Cokinos

George not only was my first cousin, he was also my godfather, my best man, and my daughter, Stephanie's godfather. But more than that, for me, he was the patriarch of our family, a role model, a mentor and a very dear friend. For years, Mary and I went to him often for advice on real estate, finance and other matters. He never turned us away. He gave of himself freely. He was someone I trusted completely. He never forgot me. Every year on my birthday George brought me a gift- even through my teen age years. And for a kid who grew up in the ghetto, this was a big deal. Something I will always cherish.
Above all, George believed in strong family ties. He was the patriarch of the family and kept us all together. He believed in the Greek culture that family is number one. He kept the traditions going right up to the end. George had what we Greeks call filotemo- the love and respect for family. He enjoyed having company whether it was at his home in Potomac or at the beach. When George heard that my wife, Mary's aunt was terminally ill, and that she was upset over this he phoned her and invited her to come to Florida and visit him this winter. That's the kind of person he was. When my father died, I was thirteen, and George was right there to support me and give me strength. He often visited our relatives in Greece, and they fought over him- which house he and Bebe were going to stay. George had to placate all of them in a diplomatic way. George Charles said my mother in law was a national treasure, and in my opinion, George, too, was a national treasure. He will be in my heart forever.