Remembering a good friend…

Excerpt

Evangelos Markakis (Figs. 1 and 2), a well-known Cretan neurosurgeon, pediatric neurosurgeon, and professor emeritus of Neurosurgery of the Medical School of Heraklion, Crete passed away on 03 February 2018. He was born in Neapoli, Lasithi, Crete in 1936. He studied Medicine in Freiburg and Kiel, in Germany. He completed his doctoral thesis in Hannover and afterwards, he did a 3-year stage in Saudi Arabia, at Riyadh Central Hospital (1983–1986). On his way back to Germany, he served as a professor of Neurosurgery in Göettingen. In 1999, he was elected first full professor of Neurosurgery in the University of Heraklion, Crete. He served in this position until his retirement in 2003. A pioneer neurosurgeon of his era, he was one of the first who attempted to operate on the brain stem. An innovator, he designed more than 100 neurosurgical instruments. His research interests and his publications were about neuro-oncology, epilepsy, and functional and pediatric neurosurgery. He was a very active member of the European Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery and also served as the treasurer of the society and member of the scientific committee. He actively participated as a faculty member in the post-graduate courses and in congresses, all around Europe. He was also an active member of the International Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery. Evangelos was a very good friend of my father Christos N. Syrmos (1943–2015) (Fig. 3), professor of Neurosurgery of the Medical School of Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece and he helped me a lot since my years of neurosurgery residence. He encouraged me to take part in the activities of the European Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery and to participate in various congresses and courses around the world. He was also a good friend with the patriarch of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Antony J. Raimondi (Fig. 4) and the rest of the pediatric neurosurgeons around the world. I will remember him, as a good teacher and also a good friend….

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