Leonidas Bistis, 33, was a Greek citizen living in Atlanta, Georgia. He was traveling friends Michael and Angela Pappadopoulo aboard Lusitania to return to Athens. Michael and Leonidas were lost in the sinking. Angela survived.
Leonidas stayed in cabin E 57 aboard Lusitania, his ticket number being 46124. When the Lusitania was sinking, Bistis and the Pappadopoulos were in a lifeboat that smashed and was upset as it was being lowered, throwing everyone into the water. In the water, Bistis tried to help Pappadopoulo to get into the lifeboat. They held on for a while and then disappeared.
Leonidas’ brother went to Queenstown to look him but found no trace. Leonidas’ body was either never recovered or never identified.
In Queenstown, Leonidas’ brother met a steward who witnessed Leonidas’ and Michael’s last moments. Transiting through London, Bistis’ brother and his friends offered to take care of the nervous Angela.
Links of Interest
Lest We Forget: Part 1 – Encyclopedia Titanica
Contributors:
Jim Kalafus
Michael Poirier
Judith Tavares
References:
Kalafus, Jim and Michael Poirier (2005). Lest We Forget: Part 1. ET Research. <http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/lusitania-lest-we-forget.html>
Kerry News 8 Sept 1915 report that the body of “one of the ill-fated passengers of the Lusitania, was exhumed at Killurey graveyard, Causeway, on Monday…The body of Leonadis Bistis, which had first and erroneously thought to be that of Mr. Linden Bates, the American millionaire, on account of having a like initials, was interred in Killurey on July 16th. The remains were placed in a lead coffin and forwarded to London, from where they will be shipped to Greece.”
Bistis was interred at the Necropolis in West Norwood Cemetery, London, and later(1925) re-interred in an unmarked grave there.