George Stephanopoulos is mourning the loss of his father, Reverend Robert George Stephanopoulos, who died on June 19 at the age of 89. The newscaster returned to Good Morning America after a week off of work on Monday, shortly after his wife, Ali Wentworth, shared the news of his father’s passing on social media.
“Reverend Robert George Stephanopoulos, PhD, Dean Emeritus Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity passed away on June 19th,” she wrote alongside older photos of her father-in-law with his son and at their wedding. “He was my father-in-law and I loved him dearly. He married us. He laughed with us. He debated our daughters. He praised my Thanksgiving turkey. He loved ice cream. He was everyone’s council. He married or baptized almost every Greek on the eastern seaboard. He was held in the highest regard.” She concluded, “He will be missed by so many. Sagapo Father Bob.”
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Born in Neohorion, Elias Greece in November 1934, Robert followed his father George into the Greek Orthodox priesthood, meeting his wife Nikki in 1954 while he was a seminarian at the Holy Cross School of Theology. Four years later, the couple married and began their ministry at Saint Demetrios Church in Fall River, Massachusetts, after a year of study in Athens, according to Robert’s obituary. The two would go on to have four children – Anastasia (Mother Agapia), George, Marguarite and Andrew – before moving to the Church of Our Savior in Rye, New York, in 1966.
Father Bob, as he was affectionately known, was a “respected, dedicated, loyal and well-loved clergyman, who loved each community he served,” having served as Dean of Saints Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Cleveland Heights from 1974 to 1982 and returning to the community after retiring from 25 years of service as Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City.
Robert also had a “distinguished career” as a theologian and ecumenist, having received his PhD from Boston University and serving as the chief ecumenical officer for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese from 1970-75. He also held several senior positions at the National Council of Churches. Robert is survived by all four of his children and grandchildren Elliott and Harper Stephanopoulos. His wife Nikki passed away in September 2023 at the age of 90.
