Edited to reflect his age as 93
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Long-time Martinsburg Mayor George Karos is being remembered following his passing Sunday at the age of 93.
Karos was born September 10th 1931. He served 24 years as an at-large councilperson, from 1976 to 2000 and 20 years, from 2000 to 2020 as the Mayor of Martinsburg.
In a floor speech in 2020, Senator Shelley Moore Capito paid tribute to Karos following his decision to not seek re-election.
He attended Shepherd College and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from the Medical College of Virginia, School of Pharmacy in Richmond, Virginia.
Prior to that, he served in the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman and attained the rank of PO3.
After working at Patterson’s Pharmacy as a young man, Karos went on to own and operate the downtown Martinsburg pharmacy until 2015.
Senator Capito talked about Karos’s favorite phrases:
The City of Martinsburg paid tribute to Karos Monday.
During his elected terms on Martinsburg City Council and mayor, Karos was part of numerous economic development projects. Those include the 1986 of Martinsburg City Hall and Police Department, the development of the Martinsburg Mall and Foxcroft Avenue, Historic Downtown re-development, the creation of Main Street Martinsburg, new water and wastewater facilities as well as the new police department headquarters and municipal court building currently under construction.
Karos was instrumental in bringing the Martinsburg Initiative to life in the city and in an archived interview on Panhandle Live talked about improvements he was seeing:
The city flag will be lowered in his honor on the town square.
Karos was born on September 10, 1931, in Martinsburg to parents who had immigrated from Greece.
Following is an excerpt from a 2022 state legislative resolution honoring Karos’s service presented by then-Delegate Jason Barrett:
George Karos, Mayor of Martinsburg, West Virginia was born on September 10, 1931, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He attended local schools, graduating from Martinsburg High School. After high school, he attended Shepherd College and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from the Medical College of Virginia, School of Pharmacy in Richmond, Virginia. Before receiving his degree, he served in the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman and attained the rank of PO3.
Mayor George Karos was the previous owner and operator of Patterson’s Drug Store, Inc. and is now retired, since June, 2015. He has received numerous awards for his devotion to civic and church activities, including the Sam Walton Wal-Mart Business Leadership Award for Service to the Customer; the West Virginia A.H. Robin’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Community and to Pharmacies in West Virginia, and the West Virginia School of Pharmacy Honorary Alumnus Award.
George Karos has served the City of Martinsburg for more than four decades, including five terms as Mayor.
During his tenure, Mayor Karos was part of numerous multiple public capital-improvement and economic development projects, including the construction of the current city hall building, in the mid-1980s, the development of the Foxcroft Avenue commercial district, annexation of more than 700 acres west of Interstate 81, construction of the Caperton Train Station and the redesign of the town square, gateway signage and police department-municipal court building projects, as well as the extension of North Raleigh Street, from West Race Street to Edwin Miller Boulevard.
Mayor George Karos is also the recipient of “Who’s Who in West Virginia Business”, presented by the West Virginia State Journal, and has received the honor of “Distinguished Citizenship Award – Lodge #778” by the Grand Lodge Elks USA. Mr. Karos was awarded the “Paul Harris Fellow Award for Humanity” from the Martinsburg International Rotary Club as well as the Chamber of Commerce “C. Leslie Golliday Award for Small Businessman of the Year”.
In August 2007, Mayor George Karos received the “2007 Mayor of the Year” award, presented by the West Virginia Municipal League. He was awarded “Man of the Year 2008-2009” by the Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce sponsored by the Journal and in May 2009 Main Street Martinsburg bestowed the honor of “Public Official of the Year” on Mayor Karos. George Karos has also been listed in the “Top 25 Most Influential People in the Eastern Panhandle” as chosen by the Journal.
Professional affiliations of Mayor George Karos include president of the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy; member of the Chamber of Commerce; Berkeley County Development Authority; Berkeley County Health Department, the Eastern Panhandle Builders Association, the Rotary and Elks Clubs, Martinsburg/Berkeley County Library, the West Virginia and Virginia Pharmaceutical Association, the American Pharmaceutical Association and Eastern Panhandle Academy of Pharmacy; director of City National Bank; past president of Martinsburg/Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce; past Senior Warden of Trinity Episcopal Church; past member, officer and director of Berkeley County War Memorial Park and past member of Martinsburg Planning and Zoning Commission. He is also a member of the Equality Lodge #144 AF&M; Martinsburg Scottish Rite 32; Osiris Temple A.A.O.N.M.S., Wheeling, WV and Royal Order of Jesters #117, Cumberland, MD.
Mayor George Karos is also a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Substance Abuse, President and Director of Kings Daughter Housing, Inc. and Associates for Community Development, as well as a member of the Board of Directors for the Eastern WV Community Foundation.
Mayor George Karos was married to M. Renee Burkhart and had two children by his late wife, Sophia M. Karos: his daughter, Maria K. Karos, and his son, George K. Karos.
