MARIKA MITOUSIS

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MARIKA MITOUSIS

May 5, 1926 - May 15, 2025

It is with sorrow that we announce the peaceful passing of Marika Mitousis on May 15, 2025, at the age of 99.

Marika was born on May 5, 1926, in the village of Theologos on the island of Thassos, Greece. After the death of her father at an early age, she followed her family to the mainland city of Kavala, where she met and married her beloved husband, Antonios. Antonios predeceased her on December 2, 2001. She was the cherished last survivor of seven siblings – Metaxas, Venetia, Konstantinos, Themistocles, Theodora, and an infant sister Maria.

Together, they built a life in Kavala, where Marika worked diligently both in a tobacco factory and alongside her husband in their taverna. Their family was complete with the arrival of their son, Emmanouel, in 1948, who sadly passed away on January 2, 2006.

In 1966, together with her husband and son, Marika embarked on a new chapter, immigrating to Winnipeg to join her siblings.

Marika's legacy lives on through her two grandchildren, Maria (Barry) and Tony (Leah); her daughter-in-law, Dorothea; and her two adored great-granddaughters, Ophelia and Emmanouella.

Marika possessed a truly unique spirit. Proud and fiercely loyal, she had a wonderful, wry sense of humour that often played across her expressive face. She approached life with care and intention, a testament to her organized and meticulous nature. Always thinking ahead, she was a natural planner with a sharp, logical mind and a strong sense for business, despite having no formal education. Many of her decisions and her wise counsel often came down to a straightforward question of logic, delivered with her characteristic directness.

Firm in her convictions, once Marika set her mind to something, it was accomplished on her terms and to her exacting standards. She instilled in her grandchildren the valuable lesson that those things worth doing must be done well, a principle she exemplified through her own actions.

Marika found joy in the simple rhythms of life. She excelled at household arts - embroidery, cooking and tending to her home and garden. She enjoyed the invigorating routine of daily walks. Content and self-assured, she never felt the need for travel or adventure, finding all she needed within her familiar world.

She held pride in the professional accomplishments of her grandchildren, though she expressed it with quiet esteem rather than boastfulness. Marika also brought insight to her own journey as a newcomer to Canada. In the years before her retirement, she worked diligently at a local clothing factory alongside a community of fellow immigrant women. Through their shared hard work and careful saving, she and Antonios realized their dream of purchasing a beautiful bungalow in River Heights, where they enjoyed many happy years together there and in Greece.

The bonds of sisterhood were deeply important to Marika. She shared a close and cherished connection with Voula and Rigoula Gamvrelis, her dear neighbours and sisters-in-law. Until recent times, their daily routines included neighbourhood walks, evening visits on the front stoop of Marika's house, and outings for exercise, shopping, and coffee – a testament to their enduring friendship. Marika will be fondly remembered by her surviving nieces and nephews, including Katina (Kathy) Hatzipanayis and Georgia (Horinos) Thompson who were especially dear to her. Marika's heart was broken many times by the loss of cherished nieces and nephews who predeceased her over the years.

The funeral service will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2255 Grant Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Interment will follow at Brookside Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband and near her dear son.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude for the excellent care and compassionate support provided by the physicians, nurses, and healthcare aides of Unit 4 South at the Victoria General Hospital. Special mention and heartfelt thanks are extended to healthcare aides Kristina and Jaismeen for their dedicated assistance and support over the last year of Marika's life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church "in memory of Marika Mitousis".

May Her Memory be Eternal.

Αιώνια η μνήμη

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 17, 2025