Athanasios Malavakis, age 73, of Groveland, Florida passed away on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at home after a battle with cancer. He was born on December 19, 1945 in Athens, Greece, to Alexander Malavakis and Konstantina Tzavara. Athanasios married Terry Lynn Armstrong on June 5, 1976 in Bethesda, Maryland.

He was in the Greek Air Force for two years. He transitioned to the United States Air Force in 1973 and served for 23 years, retiring in 1996 as a Major. After retirement with the United States Air Force, Athanasios served as a Charge Nurse at the Department of Defense Clinic in Reston, Virginia from 1997 to 1999, followed by Clinical Manager at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland from 1999 to 2012. He then served in a volunteer capacity at Suburban Hospital, also in Bethesda, from 2012 to 2017.

Athanasios was a member of St. George's Greek Orthodox Church in Bethesda, Maryland, the Society of Air Force Nurses, the Genealogy Club, "Romeo" (Retired Old Men Eating Out). He is survived by wife, Terry Lynn Malavakis of Groveland, Florida, children; Christina Marie Malavakis of Clermont, Florida and Alexander Malavakis of Bethesda, Maryland, brother, George Malavakis of Silver Spring, Maryland.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 25, 2019 at Becker Funeral Home, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, followed by interment at Florida National Cemetery at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Athanasios' name to the American Cancer Society for research of small cell lung cancer treatments.