Obituary of Emanuel Litsis

Emmanuel Litsis, age 91, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, February 20, 2019. He was born in the Northern Epirus area of Greece, the son of Harry and his wife Kostanto (Bello) Litsis. When thinking about Mike Litsis, some things that come to mind are: hero, loving husband, father, grandfather and brother. He led a life that you could write a movie about. As a young man, he fought in two wars(!) one in his own home village in Northern Epirus and also in the Korean War. At 16 years old he had to escape his village and the war that was going on in Northern Epirus against the communist and the village that he grew up in leaving his mother and his 4-year-old sister Athena behind. He then went to Athens Greece and worked in a hotel for five years until his father sent for him to go to the United States. After coming to the United States to be with his father in New York, Mike was drafted into the Korean war. In the Korean War he became a combat guerilla fighter and was sent to the front line. After only 8 weeks of basic training his platoon was caught in an attack from the Korean army and most of them were killed. He was one of the few to survive. Because of the wounds he received from shrapnel in four parts of his body he was taken to the hospital in Korea, Hawaii, and San Francisco. He spent eight months in hospitals rehabilitating from the injuries. He received the Purple Heart for his bravery in battle. Ironically, he was not even a United States citizen when he fought in the Korean War and did not become a citizen until a few years later. After the war and his injuries healed, he returned to NYC in 1952 where he eventually met his future wife Mae. Mike was a man that you would always remember if you met him. Whenever friends came to our house he would always pay attention to them and they loved him for that reason. He worked very hard in the construction business and always supported his family. When he was 56 he lost his wife Mae to cancer and never remarried. He has spent much of his life surrounded by his children and his grandchildren and well as his sister Athena and his parents. He will be deeply missed. Mike Litsis is survived by his beloved children Connie Litsis, Harry and his wife Patricia Litsis; his cherished grandchildren Nicholas and Alexandra; his loving sister Athena and her husband James Giannaros; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by both his loving wife Mae (Miller) and his parents. Mae passed away August 2, 1984. Friends are welcome to attend the visiting hours on Sunday, February 24, 2019 from 3-7 p.m. at the funeral home. The funeral will be on Monday at 11:00 a.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 818 Valley Rd, Clifton, officiated by Fr. Peter Balkas, followed by the interment at East Ridgelawn Cemetery in Clifton.