Renos Lavithis sadly passes away

With great sorrow and a deep sense of loss we learnt of the passing away on the evening of Sunday 17th February, of the well known artist, journalist and past publisher Renos Lavithis.
Renos was a popular and loved individual in the London Cypriot Community but also more widely in the wider socio-cultural context of Britain.
He was 74-years old.

He suffered a severe stroke exactly three years ago, in 2016, which left him partly paralysed and at first unable to speak. He was hospitalised and received intensive treatment in different hospitals and later in nursing homes, where he was looked after until his untimely death.
He was married to Anna Lavithis and had one daughter, Nikki Lavithis, who is a teacher.
Renos Lavithis was born in Paphos, Cyprus and came to England to study in the early ‘60s.
After following a course in accounting, he decided to change, opting for an arts career instead.

He worked for the Daily Mail for approximately 30 years as a graphics artist, while also painting in oils and other media.
He was a very versatile and prolific painter and he organised and helped to organise many solo, group and community exhibitions, especially at the Britannia Centre in Finchley. He also took part in Londonwide and Britain-wide art competition and won awards and distinctions.

One of the most important the exhibitions he co-organised was ‘Art in the Cypriot Community’ in the UK, in which eight prominent British Cypriot artists were presented, in the Greek Cypriot Brotherhood Centre in 2014.
His own last and very successful retrospective exhibition took place in the exhibition space at the crypt of St. Martin-in-the Fields in 2016, attracting some celebrities and many representatives from the Cypriot and British cultural and social sectors.

Renos also exhibited his series of drawings and paintings titled ‘My London’, also exhibited at St. Martin-in-the Fields, which were also included in a book with the same title published at the same time.
We send our sincere condolences and sympathy to Renos’ daughter Nikki Lavithis and all his family and close friends.
May he rest in peace.