February 11, 2026
The Greek City Times
Greece has bid farewell to a living bridge to one of its most transformative eras. Eleftherios Venizelos — former Member of Parliament for Chania, dedicated guardian of his grandfather’s vision, and the very last surviving grandson of the legendary statesman Eleftherios Venizelos — has passed away at the remarkable age of 102.
Born in Athens in August 1924 to Kyriakos Venizelos and Marika Roussou, he spent his early life in upheaval and exile. As World War II loomed, his family sought refuge first in France and then in the United States. There, he pursued an elite education in Political and Economic Sciences at the prestigious Princeton and Columbia Universities — a fitting academic foundation for a man destined to carry one of modern Greece’s most illustrious names.
In the 1950s, he returned to his Cretan roots and entered public life. Elected MP for Chania in both 1952 and 1956, he represented the very region that had nurtured his grandfather’s revolutionary spirit decades earlier.
After politics, he steered the family into the world of shipping, but his heart never strayed far from the ideals of liberalism and progress. For many years, he proudly served as president of the Liberal Club. Later, he became honorary president, Grand Benefactor, and cherished Associate of the Eleftherios K. Venizelos National Research and Studies Foundation — the institution devoted to preserving and studying his grandfather’s monumental legacy.
The Foundation’s announcement carried deep emotion:
“With profound sorrow, we mourn the passing of Eleftherios Venizelos, the last living link to the great statesman. His lifelong dedication, wisdom, and generosity will forever remain an inspiration.”
As the final direct descendant of the man who doubled Greece’s territory, led it through World War I, and shaped its modern identity, his departure truly closes a historic chapter.
Greece — and especially Crete — has lost not just a centenarian, but a quiet yet powerful keeper of memory. May his memory, and that of his legendary grandfather, live on.
Related News Eleftherios Venizelos born Born: August 11, 1864