A cousin is more like a sibling in Greek families, so I always thought of Joey as another brother growing up. Whether we were building forts or running around outside, I never had a bad time with Joey, and that held true even as we grew older. The incredible thing about him, though, was that everyone he met felt the same way. For instance, he joined me and a few friends on a trip through Greece in 2009, and it would not have been nearly as memorable if Joey wasn’t a part of it. We even found him sitting at a table of complete strangers one night talking as if they’d been best friends for years. Looking back on moments like this make me realize the appropriateness of the nickname “Solar Joe” because he truly did light up whichever room he happened to be in. It was a gift that not many people have, and it will always be remembered by those who knew him.
Joey once said to me life was “all about the stories.” Although he left us much too soon, we can all take this message to heart – live your life to the fullest and uplift the people around you in the time that we do have. His story is also not over yet. Through the Joseph Peter Bartzis Foundation, Joey is continuing to make an impact by advancing the research on Amyloidosis and pushing us all to be proactive with our health. Let’s all promise to take care of ourselves and continue writing our own stories in honor of Joey.
-Peter Tzioumis
