Margarita Papandreou passes away at age 102

Margarita Papandreou, a notable figure in Greek public life and the second wife of the late Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, has died at the age of 102. Born on September 30, 1923, in Oak Park, Illinois, she would have turned 103 in less than two weeks. Her son, Nikos Papandreou, confirmed her passing, describing her as a guiding light through the turbulent years of PASOK's political history.

After studying journalism and public health in the United States, she met Andreas Papandreou at the University of Minnesota. The couple married in 1951 and had four children: George, Sofia, Nikos, and Andrikos. They relocated to Greece in 1961, and she became widely recognized for founding and leading the Women's Union of Greece (EGE) for eight years. Her life was marked by significant activism, particularly her efforts to secure her husband's release during the Greek military junta in 1967.

Although her marriage to Andreas ended in divorce after 38 years in 1989, she remained an influential presence in Greek society. Sources provide slight variations regarding her age at death, with some citing 102 and others 103, though birth records confirm she was born in 1923 and approaching her 103rd birthday at the time of her passing.