January 15, 1937 - April 19, 2017
Michael Iliakis Obituary Michael Iliakis of Spokane, fell asleep into the hands of the Lord on April 19, 2017 with his family by his side. He was born to the late Aristides and Sophia Iliakis on January 15, 1937 in Kaloniktis, Crete, Greece. Michael left Kaloniktis at the age of ten to attend the Queen Frederica School in Athens, where he was one of the very few in the region to gain acceptance and win a scholarship. He completed school through seventh grade when the burdens of post-war Greece urged him to find work and earn money to help support the family in Kaloniktis. He worked on cargo ships until he was called to military duty at the age of 19, much of that time with the Greek Armys construction battalion assigned to demolition and excavation in northern Greece. After the Army, Michael fulfilled a seafaring dream and made his transition to cruise lines. He worked his way up from kitchen duty to steward on both the Greek Line and the Olympia Line. While he was assigned as steward, he first met Anna Primiani of Spokane, onboard, as she was vacationing in the Mediterranean and her native Italy. After one year of distant communication, they took a great leap of faith and married in New York Citys City Hall on July 29, 1966. Their honeymoon was a four-day cross-country romantic sojourn by train from New York to Spokane. They lived a loving and dedicated life together in Spokane for over fifty years. In 1968, they moved to the family farm where they worked hard and raised their three children. While in Spokane, Michael continued to work in the hospitality business, utilizing his skills from his days on the cruise liners. He was a waiter and matre d at several well-respected establishments like the Spokane Club, Zepp Inn, Fireside and Stockyard Inn restaurants. After the restaurants, he continued employment with Kaiser Aluminum, R.A. Hanson Company, and finally Centennial Mills until his retirement in 1999. All the while, his work continued from dawn until dusk; harvesting alfalfa, grass, and oat hay and raising livestock on the farm. He enjoyed the life of an Eastern Washingtonian and actively hunted the mountains of the Okanogan and Mount Spokane. He also fished every lake in Spokane County, the Columbia and Spokane Rivers, and the far reaches of the Washington coast. Michael was an active member of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, the local American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) chapter and the Eastern Washington Hay Growers Association. Michael continued to promote Greek culture and community in the area, primarily through his labors at Church, such as participation with the annual Greek Festival. He ritualistically celebrated Holy Pascha (Easter) at the farm and to date, its been recognized as one of the greatest Orthodox Easter celebrations in the Spokane area complete with lamb and ethnic dishes prepared in the traditional way. Michael was preceded in death by his wife, Anna, this last December 26th, and his two brothers, Emmanuel and George. He is survived by his sister Maria Stavroulakis of Kaloniktis, Crete; his three children and four grandchildren; Aristides and his wife, Kathryn, with their daughters Marisa and Karena, of Snohomish; Sophia and her husband Eoin, of Sequim; and Bernardino and his wife, Pinar, with their children Alessandra and Leonardo, of Seattle. A funeral service will be held at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Spokane on Monday, May 1 at 4:30 PM and he will be interred at the Holy Trinity Lawn at Riverside Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Michael Iliakis Memorial Fund at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church or donate to a charity of choice in memoriam of Michael Iliakis. � To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Michael, please visit our Tree Store. Read more Events APR 19
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