Yanco Nicolas Gavrizi's Obituary
Yanco Nicolas Gavrizi, a/k/a “Dr. G, ” “Nick,” (and numerous other self-appointed nicknames including “Il Mago [the magician],” “G-ilcioius,” and “eagle eye”) was born on August 21, 1952, in the mountain town of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria and passed away in Memphis, Tennessee in the early morning of May 6, 2019. His death was the victory of a painful, year-long battle with Leukemia, and he left exactly as he would have wanted– suddenly, at home, with Spanakopita (one of his favorite foods) in the oven.In his 66 years, he lived countless lives. As a boy, he loved climbing the Pindus mountain range with his father and mountaineering uncle. An only child, he was cherished by his parents, who afforded him the best education possible and sent him to boarding school in Montpellier, France for high school. Although he harbored dreams of becoming an architect, after several rebellious years filled with adventures, loves, and his infamous yellow sportscar, he dutifully fulfilled the dreams of his father, a pulmonologist, by becoming a doctor himself. He spent many years as an OBGYN doctor in Bucharest, Romania and Montecatini, Italy, although he would often admit that most of his time was spent on the tennis courts and in the discos, bars, and restaurants where he formed friendships that would sustain him for the rest of his life.The birth of his son changed the trajectory of his life. Despite never planning to leave Europe, he moved to Texas and married Marian Aitches, whom he met in Bucharest. After years spent in Denton, Texas and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he attended a residency in Chicago and settled in Memphis, where he completed a fellowship in adolescent psychiatry and was a practicing psychiatrist for over 20 years.His life was shattered in 2003, when he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. He bravely battled the disease, and although its specter always loomed, he lived in remission for over 10 years. In that time, he enjoyed innumerable trips abroad, laughs with friends, and good food and wine. He also was able to witness the marriage of his son and most recently, the birth of his grandson, whom he adored.Dr. G was deeply human in every sense of the word. He was extremely sensitive, intelligent, loving, and prideful. He was most alive with others, who gravitated to his incredibly charismatic and endearing personality. There wasn’t a business in Memphis that he frequented that didn’t know Dr. G and he took more time and effort than most of us to cultivate relationships with people from all walks of life. He was a complex man and bon vivant who loved, in no particular order, philosophy, art, cars, tennis, food, wine, and literature (he did not care for politics, although he often mused he would be an excellent dictator to a small island nation). He proclaimed himself an American, and he often expressed his gratitude for this country. He was a storyteller who would often issue proclamations (and jokingly tell those near him to write them down), addressing the tragedy, joy, and drama of life. One of his most popular sayings, which like many of them would come off trite but be achingly true, was that “everybody lives in their own world.” His world was a beautiful one: full of color, laughter, sorrows, and most of all, love.Dr. G is survived by his “guardian angel” Cheryl “Genie” Fortner, his daughter-in-law Sarah Gavrizi, his grandson Luca Nicolas Gavrizi, his dear friends Ajit and Sherry, Don and Janet, Florin and Cathy, Paul, Emil, the mother of his son Mariana Aitches, and so many others. He is also survived by his closest friends overseas, who he treasured as brothers, Emil Tateosyan and Giorgio Papini. Finally, he is survived by his son and namesake, Nicolas Yanco Gavrizi, to whom he was the most fiercely loyal and loving father.Dr. G’s family would like to thank the Baptist myelo unit and MHT office for the excellent care they provided him in the last year.In lieu of flowers, please consider recording some of your favorite memories of Dr. G in the guest book and making a donation in Dr. G’s name to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation: https://tribute.themmrf.org/Member/MyPage/3088424/Nick-Gavrizi.The family will receive friends to celebrate his life on Saturday, May 11 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and services will immediately follow at 4:00 p.m., at Memorial Park Funeral Home’s Parkside Event Center.Dr. G’s tribute slideshow can be viewed here: https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/7WLFBY2C44FGPJS9Arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave., Memphis, TN 38119 (901) 767-8930. “A Fitting Farewell for Everyone”.
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