PWInsider:
 
On behalf of everyone at PWInsider.com, we are very sorry to report the passing of longtime Wrestling Chatterbox editor Georgiann Makropoulos earlier today at the age of 67. Georgie, as she was known to her friends, was one of the kindest people to ever become involved in any aspect of professional wrestling.  She was a long-time friend and fan of many of those who came through the WWWF as she grew up in New York, including Bruno Sammartino, Buddy Rogers and Bill Watts, among others who she maintained fan clubs as a young fan and later befriended.  She actually maintained the same ringside seats at Madison Square Garden in NYC for decades, until the building ended their long-standing subscription service for fans.  
 
Over the years, Georgie worked with Bob Ryder's http://www.1wrestling.com and in recent years, had been working as Editor-in-Chief of Ringside Collectibles' http://www.wrestlingfigs.com website.  Georgie's newsletters and later, her online work, was probably the most "fan friendly" in that she loved to focus on personal touches and things most other news outlets passed aside for the bigger news stories, probably because she was a life-long fan herself, discovering the business as a teenager while sick with meningitis.  After recovering, she was a regular at the Sunnyside Garden, the Ridgewood Grove Arena and many other regular WWF haunts.  
 
Georgie liked to humanize those in the business, trying to give fans a window into the friendships she had made over the years, often focusing on wrestler birthdays, appearances, and the personal aspects of their lives beyond the news of their exploits around the business. Her Chatterbox ran monthly for years, most recently publishing as late as a few weeks ago with an issue featuring Jeff Hardy on the cover.
 
There was more to Georgie than her fandom of the business and her writing.  In many cases, she was the silent third-party going back and forth between wrestlers and different promotions to help set up negotiations.  She would champion independent talents to help them get tryouts with WCW and the WWF.  She was a huge supporter of independent wrestling and was beaming when she was honored by the East Coast chapter of the Cauliflower Alley Club in 1998 for all her had done to help the business.  She was a historian, a networker and in many cases, the common bond between a number of different wrestling generations.
 
Georgie was a woman of many hats, but if there was ever one word to truly describe her, it was passionate.  She loved pro wrestling and the many friends she made in those circles.  She legitimately cared for everyone she came across, often calling her friends "baby."  When a star she was friends with passed away, she took it to heart, even while so many others that followed the business would instead become jaded.  She was the type of good person you usually hear about third-hand.  She was one of a kind..
 
Even when wrestling was at it's lowest point, Georgie loved the business.  She was fond of helping anyone and everyone she could, from Herb Abrams' UWF to ECW to various conventions to many of the indies that populate the country today, especially those in the Northeast, as she lived in New York City.  It would be impossible to come across the run of any promotion that ran in the NYC area for any length of time and not find her at one of their shows.  
 
Georgiann loved the business and there will be a great void with her passing.  She was a bridge through the different generations and evolutions of the sport, one that we will never, ever be able to replace.
 
On behalf of everyone here at PWInsider.com, many of whom worked with her on 1wrestling.com, we send our deepest condolences to her family and friends and are extremely saddened by her passing.
 
Georgie's services will be as follows: Thomas M Quinn & Sons
35-20 Broadway
Long Island City, NY 11106
718-721-9200
Wake Tuesday 7PM-9PM
Wednesday    2PM-5PM
                   7PM-9PM
 
Mass: Thursday at Most Precious Blood......Time tba
 
***
 
Paul Heyman:
 
Everyone here at The Heyman Hustle is saddened by the death of Georgiann Makropoulos. In many ways, Georgiann was professional wrestling's best friend, and she always took tremendous pride in the fact that she loved the business and was "house mom" to those involved. A truly genuine individual without a malicious bone in her body, all Georgiann wanted to do was help people (and go to Atlantic City). We extend our deepest condolences to her husband George, her family, and her network of friends (all of whom were considered by her to be family) around the world.
 
 
Bill Apter:
 
This is one of these shocks ... one of those "I just don't know what to say" moments. A lovely lady I've known since I was a teenager has died. Georgiann Makropolus, who, when I started watching wrestling was the President of the Bruno Sammartino Fan Club, Buddy Rogers Fan Club and so many more. I got to know her well and so recall her friendly attitude and smile to everyone who came in contact with her. When my dad used to come to the matches with me she always got up, no matter where she was sitting, to give him a big hug. It made him feel so special. She made everyone feel special.  
 
I used to look forward to getting her printed fan club bulletin "The Wrestling Chatterbox" every time it came out. I was a regular on her mailing list. I still have and will cherish many of those issues. Georgie worked here at 1wrestling.com for many years and I used to love to read her gossip columns and news about autograph signings. She did that better than anyone else. She went onto continue her work, spearheading http://www.wrestlingfigs.com.  
 
To all of us she was just plain "Georgie." I will miss Georgie very much. It's a very sad day.  
 
 
 
Bob Ryder:
 
 
Words cannot begin to describe how sad I am to hear of the passing of our dear friend Georgiann Makropoulos. I couldn’t believe the news when Bill Apter called to tell me she was gone. Georgie was someone who was always there, and you expected she always would be. For several years, Georgie was an important contributor to 1Wrestling.com. She was a friend and we considered her part of our family. In recent years she had been contributing to another website, http://www.wrestlingfigs.com , but she always stayed in touch. In fact, just this past weekend I exchanged emails with her. We have had some problems with our website security, and Georgie emailed to let me know about a problem that one of her readers had reported to her. She was always watching out for us. I explained to her that we had been hacked and that we were implementing some upgrades over the weekend. Her response was “OMG, that’s terrible. Have a great New Year, my dear friend. Stay well…Georgie.”
 
It seems like Georgie knew everyone in the wrestling business. She truly loved the business and loved reporting on it. She did it in a unique way and definitely made sure nobody ever missed hearing about an autograph signing or an appearance. To this day, I have readers emailing me asking what happened to Georgie’s listing of appearances.  
 
My heart goes out to her friends and family. There will never be another Georgie, and I will miss her very much.

I can't think of anyone who did more for wrestling fans than Georgiann Makropoulos.  Thank you for everything.  You will be missed.

R.I.P Georgiann God Bless you and I know you are in a better place..... She helped when ever she could she was a true wrestling legend. Wrestling was her life and she lived her life to the fullest you will be missed Georgiann....