Myron (Mario) Anadranistakis
April 9, 2021
December 2, 1926 – April 4, 2021
Due COVID-19 Restrictions, a Private Family Service was held with a maximum of 25 people.
He was the last of his brothers and sister to be reposed into the loving arms of The Lord, Our God.
He was predeceased by his beautiful wife Constantina, and leaves behind his daughter Katina, grandson Andreas. His daughter Athena, his granddaughters Tamara (Kyle), Stefanie (Cody) Alexandra (Dustin) and his great grandchildren Freya, Logan, Lochlan, Lilly, and Knox. His son Peter (Char), his granddaughters Alexia and Sophia and grandchildren, Julia, Keziah and Samuel.
The youngest of the grandchildren, Sophia Anadranistakis, chose to do a Biography on the life of my Myron Anadranistakis for a Grade 11 English Project; the most successful and remarkable person I will not doubtingly ever know. I chose my Papou because he is the most successful and remarkable person I will ever know. Successful in the way that he had everything against him, but saw his life as an opportunity to have everything in life to gain. My Papou overcame struggles, was never afraid to work and always put others before himself. He is also known for being the best-dressed man in the room and always making you feel welcome with just the sound of his laugh, but most importantly, the luckiest person I could ever have in my life.
In Papou’s early life, he grew up in a small village on the island of Crete, in Greece. He was raised in a small house no larger than an average bedroom with his mother and four other siblings. At the age of seven, his father died and his mother then raised him and his siblings on her own. He attended school until grade 6, from there he helped his uncle on his farm. When the second world war started in 1945, he came back home to stay with his mother since he was the middle child and his other three brothers became soldiers. Shortly after, my Papou and his mother were captured by German Nazi’s and his mother being forced to become a cook and himself a builder. When the German’s lost the war in 1949, they let them go and his siblings soon returned.
Later after the war, the Canadian Council of Churches offered to lend money to immigrants for the fare of the ship ticket to Canada. My Papou saw this as an opportunity to help his family and to create a new life. With no money, no sense of the English language and not knowing anyone in Canada, he left Greece. During my Papou’s life in Canada, he overcame years of struggles of poverty of being an immigrant, but he never once let it define him. He worked his whole life in the hard-long hours of the restaurant industry. He started washing dishes for 0.25 cents an hour, eight hours a day and continuing for another six hours with no pay being a cook’s helper at night to gain experience as he had a dream of opening his own restaurant. My Papou did all this while making sure he sent one hundred dollars back home to support his family every month. And in 1966, with my Papou’s determination and perseverance, he opened his restaurant at the corner of Portage and Main and called it ‘Marios Restaurant’. All the local business owners and locals in the area would come for breakfast and lunch. They all just didn’t love the food, they loved my Papou as a person even more. It was his contagious humor and personality everyone was drawn to, it instantly makes you feel at home.
During his years as being a dishwasher, he met my most amazing grandmother, my Yiaya. My Papou did not win her over easy, he yet again used his hard work and determination to. My Papou knew my Yiayas brother-in-law, and the brother law asked him if he would want to marry her, and my Papou said yes. My Papou first met my Yiaya shortly after she came to Canada at a Church event held in a park. They soon started dating and had plans to marry. But back then, unless you had wedding bands a Priest would not marry the couple. So, for the next two years, my Papou worked six days a week to earn enough money to marry my Yiaya. On his days off, he would go and visit her. They then married on April 27, 1958, and had three children in the years to come. My Aunt Katina being the firstborn, my Aunt Athena being the second and ten years later my father, Peter. Over these years, he provided for his family in Canada, supporting his family in Greece and volunteering countless hours at the Greek Church and never failing to lend a hand to anyone that needed it.
When my Papou came to Canada, he came with nothing, not even a dime. Although he is not a millionaire, he himself is priceless. To see what he has accomplished in his life is nothing short of remarkable. He opened three restaurants in total. Purchased many new homes, bought land in Athens for his mother and sister so they would have a place to live, sponsored and paid for his brothers to move to Canada, and continued to sponsor people in Greece and Canada so they could also live better. He also always held onto his pride in being Greek, always being involved in the community. He has volunteered countless hours for the community, donated thousands of dollars for the church to build classrooms for Sunday school and Greek school, has continued his Church membership for over sixty years, and whenever the basket comes around at church, he still gives the envelope to one of his grandkids so they could also learn from a young age what it is like to give. He has accomplished all of this done in his life because he wanted to, never wanting recognition.
Still, at the age of 93, he loves the outdoors and walking and returning each winter to Greece. But most importantly, he as a person hasn’t aged a day. Continuing to never miss a moment to let you hear that contagious laugh that instantly puts a smile on your face or letting you know you are loved not only by words but by warm soup and an extra scoop of potatoes, “Just in case you get hungry later.” He is still saying hello to everyone with the smile that lights up the room, that is if they aren’t already saying, “Hello Mario! It’s so great to see you.”
May his memory be eternal. Thank you Father Nick Tambakis and Our Extended Family at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Myron Mario Anadranistakis December 2 1926 – April 4 2021..
Voyage Funeral Homes & Crematorium
Décès pour la Ville: Winnipeg, Province: Manitoba