 Varnalis died in Athens on 16 December 1974, and is buried in the First Cemetery of Athens.Varnalis published his first poetic work at the Greek-language Plovdiv newspaper "News of Aimos", under the pen name "Figeus" (Φηγεύς).His first appearance in Greece was in the magazine "Noumas" (Νουμάς) under his real name.