George Halvatzis, a Great Man & Great Astoria Realtor, Died

After Fighting Two Types of Cancer, George Passed on December 15, 2025

December 24, 2025 / Astoria Neighborhood in Queens / Queens Business / Queens Buzz.

I had the pleasure of knowing George Halvatzis for the past 15+ years, as both a client and a friend.

I enjoyed visiting him in his office on Ditmars Blvd in Astoria starting circa 2009 or 2010. When I first started visiting George, the office seemed to be something of a Greek and American community center. People from the neighborhood, from various walks of life, would drop in for both short and sometimes long chats with George, covering just about everything and anything under the sun.

George was pretty conversant on most topics. The communal conversations that went on in George's office, oftentimes reminded me of the entertaining back and forth that went on in Jerry Seinfeld's apartment, on the TV Show with the same name.

One of the things that attracted people to George was his ready sense of humor. George was a mix of a trusted friend, and an improvisational comedian. George occasionally would conjecture aloud about the possibility of translating his daily experiences in the real estate world, into a Seinfeld-like comedy show. His professional experiences placed him in numerous interesting situations, involving all kinds of people. And while he was selling various types of properties in Astoria and Queens, he would have many interactions with potential buyers, wherein George could always find the joy and humor in them.

But George wasn't just entertaining, he was also one of the sharpest realtors in Astoria, in Queens and in NYC. He paid unflinching attention to the dynamics and demographics of the ever-changing Astoria neighborhood. And he analyzed things logically and systematically to ferret out insights that others seemed to miss. George also seemed imbued with an Astoria realty social / psychological gestalt, and an authentic sense of caring, all of which contributed to his success.

If my memory serves me correctly, George had graduated from Queens College with a Bachelors in Psychology, which I had always thought well prepared him for both real estate sales, but also enhanced his comedic repartee, because the study of psychology enables and facilitates deeper insights into human interactions. When we discussed this possible connection, George modestly deferred judgment, always encouraging me to ponder it further. So, I am still pondering.

George's family has been in the Astoria real estate business since at least the 1970's, and possibly as early as the 1960's, when George's mother, Anita, first went into the real estate business. She was successful, eventually purchasing Amorelli Realty. Anita was followed into the Astoria and Queens real estate business by her three sons, including George. All of them became realtors. While two of three of Anita's sons went to work at their mother's firm, George did not, instead carving out his own niche, by founding his own firm, Halvatzis Realty. Halvatzis Realty grew over time into a very successful boutique realty firm in the northwest corner of Queens.

Over the years I had the opportunity to meet George's mother, brothers and wife, Marion. He seemed to have a generally warm relationship with his family, and in our conversations that sentiment was generally present. I don't believe I ever met his son, George Jr., but I did get to know about him, through the loving eyes of his father, who quietly beamed with pride when he spoke about his son going through high school, college, then off to his first professional job and into a relationship with a special woman who became his son's wife. George's depiction of his wife was also very positive, painting a picture of a very dynamic, interactive home and family life, filled with banter and humorous conversations about how best to raise their son, spend their time together, and make the most of journeying through life together.

The last time I saw George was this past Spring [2025]. Even after being hit hard with health issues, and daily afflictions, he put on such a courageous face, that it kind of sank my heart. I queried him on whether he was doing all the things he could to prolong his life, and based on the things I generally know, he was. And since he was spending a lot of time talking about such things with the medical community, outside of the office; he didn't really want to talk too much about these things in the office, so I complied with his wishes. And yet, in spite of all the horrible health issues he was dealing with, and daily pain and afflictions, he could still muster his witty sense of humor to enjoin the conversation.

The last thing I want to mention is that George found satisfaction in the waning days of his life, remodeling an Astoria home. It was the first time he had undertaken a venture to remodel a home for resale on his own. But there was a sort of twist to it, in that he also told me he was remodeling it also as a creative expression of himself. He wasn't entirely sure, but was pretty sure, he would sell it. But also crawling around in his subconscious, was the notion that he was also doing this renovation as a sort of psycho-physical therapy, to ward off the cancer. I asked him if I could do a story on the renovation, in tandem with doing a story on him. And while he agreed, he told me to wait until he was finished. Ultimately, it never happened. I still would like to see it, before someone else takes over the space, and makes it theirs, because George spent a lot of time there before he perished. Perhaps his dog, Chumley, of whom George was also very fond, might also join us for the visit.

George leaves behind his wife Marion, his son George, Jr. and new daughter-in-law Caroline. He is also survived by his mother Anita, and his brothers Paul and Jim - all of whom work at Amorelli Realty - and with whom George competed on a very friendly basis all of his life. George also leaves behind the seasoned team of professional realtors at Halvatzis Realty on Ditmars Blvd. I have met most - if not all of them - multiple times. All or nearly all of them worked with George for a decade(s) or longer, and with whom he had close professional / personal relationships. I am sure all of his relatives and associates are going to miss George dearly, as am I. He literally was one in a million.

O Theos na ton/tin anapafsi which is the Greek blessing, May God grant him eternal rest.

Here's a link to the official authorized Obituary, which includes some additional details.

https://www.nhpfh.com/post/george-halvatzis