Newsroom
Lena Samara, 34, daughter of former Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday evening after suffering a cardiac arrest, hospital officials confirmed. Her funeral will take place on Monday, August 11, at the Church of Saints Theodoros in the First Cemetery of Athens at 1 p.m., her father announced on social media.
Earlier in the day, Lena experienced a seizure that led to her being rushed to Sismanogleio Hospital. Doctors there recommended further neurological exams and transferred her to Evangelismos Hospital for detailed evaluation. While undergoing a cardiology check at Evangelismos, doctors requested more in-depth testing. During this process, while Lena was reportedly stable and showing no visible symptoms, she suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest.
Medical staff fought tirelessly for 50 minutes to revive her, but their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. Sources revealed that Lena had a known history of seizures.
Lena, a civil engineer by training, had studied at City University in London. She was known among friends and family as Eleni-Danai Samaras, named after her grandmother, Eleni-Lena Zanna. She was also the great-granddaughter of famous Greek writer Penelope Delta.
She was a familiar presence by her father’s side during his political career, including when he became Minister of Culture in 2009 and later when he was elected president of the New Democracy party.
The sudden loss of Lena has deeply saddened her family and the wider community, who remember her for her intelligence, passion for tennis, and quiet support for her father’s political journey.
