DC Mansion Fire Family Remembered in Detail-Filled Obituary
— -- Savvas Savopoulos was a CEO with a passion for side projects such as the design of a martial arts studio.
His wife, Amy Savopoulos, was raised as a "citizen of the world," having grown up in a military family, and had a knack for finding four-leaf clovers.
Their 10-year-old son, Phillip, who was believed to have been home sick from school because of an injury he sustained while go-karting, had previously raced at tracks in Florida, Arizona and Indiana.
Those personal details have emerged in an obituary for the Washington, D.C., couple and their son, who were found dead alongside their housekeeper when firefighters responded to a blaze at their mansion on May 14.
The paid obituary, published this week in The Washington Post, announces the funeral for the three members of the Savopoulos family will be held Monday. Their deaths have been ruled homicides and a suspect has been arrested, though investigators believe there may have been more suspects involved.
The author of the obituary is not mentioned, though the text notes that Savvas, Amy and Phillip Savopoulos are survived by their teenage daughters, Abigail and Katerina, who were away at boarding school at the time of the attack.
Savvas Savopoulos was a Washington native, according to the obituary. Both he and his wife, nee Amy Martin, attended the University of Maryland for their undergraduate degrees and he was a member of a fraternity, while she was in a sorority.
The couple married at the St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in June 1994, and that is where their funeral will be held on Monday.
"They were a devoted couple in love," the obituary says.
Savvas Savopoulos went on to become the CEO of American Iron Works and filed a patent for a wireless tool that welders could use while at work. The obituary noted that Amy Savopoulos worked at an accounting firm but also shared a story about how her first job came at the age of 7 when she cleaned the rabbit cages for her science teacher on the weekends.
The more personal details of both parents show their love for their work outside of their jobs. The obituary notes that Savvas Savopoulos had recently been appointed the president of the International Motorsports Tribunal and listed the opera, power boats and martial arts among his passions.
Amy Savopoulos was praised for the active volunteer role she took with local charities and within her children's schools.
"Amy was a world traveler who loved gathering shells from beaches, touring monuments, visiting art galleries, and attending performing arts. Amy was extremely charismatic and had a huge heart," the obituary says.
The couple's son, Philip, known to friends as "Flip," was a big fan of basketball player Kevin Durant and participated in baseball and kart racing, according to the obituary, which added that he wanted to be a professional race car driver.
"Philip's true passion was racing and going fast," the obituary says.
Philip's sisters are staying with relatives while their home is still a major part of the investigation into the attack.
"Most recently the three [siblings] cuddled together to watch a favorite movie, 'Finding Nemo.' This was a family that maintained an unusually close bond for each other and for those less fortunate," the obituary says.
