Born in Greece on June 18th, 1930, on the island of Zakynthos. Parents were Speros and Maria, nee Bargelis. He was the eldest of three siblings, followed by his brother Angelo and his sister Tasia.
He emigrated to Chicago Illinois with his family when he was 15 years old. He worked during the day went to night school. After completing school, he went to Coyne electronics trade school. At 21 years old he was drafted into the U.S Marine Corps and at 22 years old he was sent to Korea during the conflict to operate teletype and radio communications. He received three medals the Korean Service, the National Service Defense and the United Nations service medal and ribbon and was honorably discharged as a Corporal.
At 28 years old he desired to return to Greece to find a bride where he courted and married his wife Lela nee Dragonas and they remained together for 67 years. Together they moved back to Chicago where they had two sons John and Speros. John married and has three daughters. Mike worked various electronic repair positions, he was a T.V. repair man and had a repair shop with his brother Angelo in Skokie, Illinois, while working as an instructor for Zenith Radio Corporation in Chicago, followed by production manager at Alpha Type Corporation and closed out his career at Montgomery Wards Doctronics, where he performed a variety of electronic repairs. He was a fix it guy and never met a challenge he wasn't capable of.
After retirement, he summered with his wife, family, and friends in Lela's family summer home in Zakynthos, Krio Neri, Greece. For 20 years they took care of their beloved home with a garden fruit trees and a beautiful vista of the Ionian Sea. Along with being an altar boy Mike was continuously active in church and church choirs along with singing Greek folk songs with musician friends. In 2014 Mike and Lela moved to Bradenton Florida where he became a steward and a choir member of St. Barbara's Greek Orthodox Church in Sarasota. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 22nd at the age of 95 years old. He was a good Christian a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. He will be greatly missed.
A visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, from 9:30-10:30AM with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 10:30AM at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, 7671 Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243. Burial will follow at 1:30PM at Sarasota National Cemetery - 9810 State Rd 72, Sarasota, FL 34241.
Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 43rd Street Chapel, 604 43rd Street West, Bradenton, FL 34209, is in charge of arrangements.
