By ARIELLA MONTI
Inside, mourners filled the pews, lined the walls and spilled out into the lobby. The outpouring of love at the funeral of 14-year-old Chris Vasiliou on Tuesday was evidence that he had touched many lives.
Chris died last Thursday at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell hospital. He had been fighting a form of an autoimmune disease, vasculitis, called Wegener's granulomatosis.
Chris was a graduate of South Side Middle School, and was preparing for his freshman year at South Side High School. He was active in the St. Agnes CYO Basketball League and the Rockville Centre Little League. Friends and family described him as easygoing and very mellow. 'He never rocked the boat,' said family friend Daphne Babatsikos.
Chris and his family ' his mother, Mary, his father, Harry, and his older sister, Irene, who will be a senior at South Side High this fall ' were active at Panaghia, taking and teaching Sunday school classes.
'In all my years, I've never seen a funeral like this ' the tribute they paid to this young fellow,' said funeral director Tom Glynn. 'It took an hour and 45 minutes for the end of the line to get through to speak to the family.'
The sermon, which was offered by the Rev. Constantine Cambitsis, mostly in Greek, brought tears even to those who could not understand the language. 'When God created Chris Vasiliou,' Cambitsis said in English, 'he created him to live eternally.' Cambitsis went on to say that Chris loved life and the people who loved him.
'The funeral mass was heart-wrenching,' said Shelagh McGinn, South Side Middle School principal. 'Chris was a wonderful boy, and we want to extend our deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. We have to pray for the strength to get through this.'
Chris was buried at Greenfield Cemetery. His family requests that those wishing to make donations send them to the Vasculitis Foundation, P.O. Box 28660, Kansas City, Mo. 64188.
Judy Rattner contributed to this story. Comments about it? AMonti@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
