George J. Lykos

George J. Lykos age 71, of Daniel Island, South Carolina passed away on Thursday, April 20, 2017 after an extended illness. George was born on June 17, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois and was the only son of the late James Lykos and Johanna Vranas Lykos. He is survived by his loving and caring wife of 46 years, Janet, his sons James G. Lykos and his wife Audra of Washington D.C. and Robert W. Lykos and his wife Nikki of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as his beloved grandchildren Yoanna, Stamatia and Georgios Lykos. In addition to his immediate family, who were the joy of his life, he is survived by cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and colleagues from all over the world as well as his adorable British shorthair cat, Magnolia.

George moved to Daniel Island with his wife in 2007 shortly before the time of his retirement. He practiced law for over 40 years, both in private practice in Chicago and later for the law departments of major international corporations such as Mobil Oil Corporation, American Hospital Supply Corporation, and Heller Financial Inc., a subsidiary of the Fuji Bank of Japan. In 1988, he joined Bayer Corporation as Counsel to its Diagnostics business and in 1995 became Counsel to its Pharmaceutical business. Following a period of service at Bayer AG in Leverkusen, Germany, he was appointed Sr. Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Bayer Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2002 and served in that position until his retirement in 2009.

While at Bayer he led the company's legal defense of major litigations. His leadership in this area was recognized in a front page Wall Street Journal article on May 3, 2004. He was also a frequent speaker at legal seminars and conferences around the country on litigation strategy, FDA regulations, and product liability issues. His legal practice included litigation strategy, corporate governance, and complex commercial transactions. Dedication to obtaining successful outcomes for his clients was a hallmark of his work. When confronted with an interesting or complex legal issue, he would often say that it was "another opportunity to excel."

George graduated from DePaul University with a B.A. Political Science and DePaul University College of Law with his Juris Doctor. He also served on several boards including the Board of Trustees of the Georgetown University Corporate Counsel Institute and the Board of Trustees for the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) foundation for research and development. In 2009, the Burton Foundation in Washington D.C. designated him a Legend of Law for his distinguished leadership and excellence in the practice of law.

George was a faithful member of the Greek Orthodox Church and served as the President of the Parish Council at Sts. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Glenview, Illinois. He also served on the Parish Councils of St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in South Bend, Indiana and Assumption Church in Danbury, Connecticut. After moving to Daniel Island, he attended Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Charleston. His service to the church began when he was an altar boy in Chicago and continued throughout his life.

George always said that, in addition to his family, the passions in his life included jazz, the Chicago Cubs, and the U.S. Constitution. He liked to boast that his collection of jazz records might not be the largest, only the best.

His legacy to his family was love, faith, and service.

The Lykos family wishes to express its gratitude to the doctors and staff at MUSC for their dedicated and professional service, and also to the clergy and parishioners of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church for their prayers and support for George during the time of his illnesses.

A visitation will be held Sunday, April 23, 2017 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a Trisagion service at 6:00 p.m. at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 30 Race Street, Charleston, SC. His funeral service will be held on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at Sts. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church, 1401 Wagner Road, Glenview, IL, with the viewing beginning at 10:00 a.m. and the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. The burial will be at Elmwood Cemetery, 2905 North Thatcher Road, River Grove, IL.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Hollings Cancer Clinic at the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Foundation,18 Bee Street, MSC 450, Charleston, SC 29425 or to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 419 South Dithridge St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213.