Dr. Sotirios J. Vahaviolos passed away peacefully in his home in Princeton, New Jersey, on February 6, 2025 at the age of 78. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Aspasia Felice (Nessas) Vahaviolos.
Sotirios was born in Mystras, Greece on April 16, 1946, to Ioannis and Athanasia Vahaviolos. His childhood in Mystras was filled with a large and loving extended family and friends, with wonderful memories of adventures, diligent studies by candlelight, and caring for his beloved olive and fruit trees. Sotirios learned about hard work and grit as an apprentice at his father’s butcher shop. This skill later helped support him during his academic studies by working as a butcher at a local supermarket. Upon arriving in the U.S., Sotirios enrolled at Farleigh Dickinson University where he earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering (graduating first in his class), and later at Columbia University where he received M.S. degrees in both Electrical Engineering and Philosophy, followed by a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering.
At the ages of 21 and 19, Sotirios and Aspasia met at a Greek community event, and the rest is history. Together they raised their daughters, Athanasia, Stephanie, and Kristy in West Windsor and then Princeton, New Jersey, with family summer vacations in Greece, which Sotirios always hoped would instill in his daughters a love of his village and of his motherland. Sotirios relished the simple things in life. Loud family gatherings filled with food, laughter, and love were what he enjoyed most. Watching his daughters and nephew grow, gaining sons-in-law, and becoming a grandfather brought him so much joy. He motivated his family to be hardworking and to never forget their Greek roots. Most of all, he admired his wife’s kindness and loyalty. He credited her for creating a beautiful life for them all.
Sotirios’ career revolved around the field of Acoustic Emission and Non-Destructive Testing, first at Bell Labs and later at the company he founded in 1978, Physical Acoustics Corporation which would later become MISTRAS Group, Inc. He worked very hard to realize his dream of taking his company public and managed to do so in 2009 on the NYSE. He was a revered scientist and pioneer in the field he was so passionate about. He was able to industrialize something that was a mere theory and created innovative equipment and services for the Oil & Gas, Aerospace, Transport, and Infrastructure industries to name a few. Throughout his career, Sotirios was a member of, or held leadership positions in, various industry and scientific organizations including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), the Acoustic Emission Working Group (AEWG), and NDT Academia International.
Sotirios valued the Greek Community and loved his fellow Hellenes. He sought to remain connected to Greece and was active in the Hellenic diaspora while also supporting and giving back to fellow Greeks and Greek-Americans as many had done for him. Some examples of his community involvement include serving as President of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Hamilton, NJ where he congregated and enjoyed chanting at church. He was also proud to be named an “Archon” of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle of the Holy Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Additionally, Sotirios was very involved with Greek politics from a young age and was delighted to be chosen for an honorary position on the ballot for the at-large election list for the New Democracy party in 2012.
Sotirios leaves behind his children Athanasia Tia (Nikolaos Koufakis) Vahaviolos, Stephanie Vahaviolos (Michael) Foglia, Kristy Vahaviolos (Georgios) Kyriakopoulos, his nephew Dimitri Nessas, his beloved sister, Stavroula Xenofanes, and the grandchildren he adored so much – Alexander, Maya, Alana, Melina, Peter, Nicholas Sotirios, and Georgios Panagiotis. He was preceded in death by his parents Ioannis and Athanasia Vahaviolos and his brother, Apostolis Vahaviolos.
Calling hours will be on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 from 5-8 p.m. at the Brenna-Cellini Funeral Home, 2365 Whitehorse Mercerville Road, Hamilton, NJ 08619. A morning visitation will be held on Thursday, February 13 at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1200 Klockner Road, Hamilton Township, NJ 08619 from 10-11 a.m. followed by funeral services and then a burial at Princeton Cemetery at 29 Greenview Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08542. Memorial contributions may be made in Sotirios’ memory to Columbia Engineering (engineering.givenow.columbia.edu), specifying the “Electrical Engineering Support Fund,” Columbia Alumni Center, 622 West 113th Street, MC 4524, New York, NY 10025 (and please be sure to note: “In Memory of Sotirios J. Vahaviolos) Or the SPARTA NURSING HOME FOUNDATION “OI AGIOI ANARGYROI” (girokomeio-spartis.gr/?page_id=65) at Episkopou Vresthenis 30, 231 00, Sparti, Greece.
