Louis Mihalakis 1921-2016

MIHALAKIS, NEUBAUER, WALTZ, WATERMAN, WEBER, JORGENSEN, BUSH, WIEDENBACHER

Posted By: j.n. (email)
Date: 5/1/2016 at 14:54:31

Louis "Louie" Phillip Mihalakis

Born: August 03, 1921
Died: April 18, 2016

Louis “Louie” Phillip Mihalakis, 94, of Dubuque, Iowa passed away peacefully on April 18, 2016 with family by his side at Stonehill Care Facility. Visitation will be held at Hoffmann Schneider Funeral Home, 3860 Asbury Road, Dubuque, on Friday April 22 from 2 to 7 p.m., where there will be a Trisagion Memorial Prayer at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Services will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday April 23 at Church of the Resurrection, 4300 Asbury Road (due to construction at St. Elias Catholic Church). Rev. Fr. Dustin Lyon of St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church will officiate. Interment will be at Linwood Cemetery. Military Honors will be accorded by the Dubuque Marine Corps League.

Louis was born on August 3, 1921 in Dubuque, Iowa, son of Phillip and Viola (Neubauer) Mihalakis. He married his childhood sweetheart, Margaret “Bacon” Waltz on March 7, 1942 in New Orleans. They were married 73 years. Together they formed an amazing team that accomplished much in the short span of a lifetime.

He was raised in the ‘flats’ neighborhood. On his first day at Senior High School the principal called him into his office, and said, “Louis Mihalakis?” He answered, “Yes, sir.” The principal replied, “We don’t have any room here for boys like you.” And with a spring in his step, Louie left the school because all he really wanted to do was work. Despite this fact, Louie received an honorary high school degree from Larry Mitchel, Senior High School principal later in life.

Enlisting in the US Navy in 1942, Louie served as a signalman on the USS Cockrill, DE-398 in the Pacific and Atlantic theaters of war. At the end of World War II, he was asked by his superior officer if he would consider re-enlisting. Louie replied, “Captain, I wouldn’t stay if you made me admiral,” so great was his desire was to reunite with his family.

Unable to find a job, desperation met destiny one day when he encountered an elderly Jewish man named Jacob Miller. Louie asked him, “Jake, what can a man with a strong back and a weak mind do for a living?” “Well, Louie, you could buy a few junk cars,” was his reply. He told his wife Bacon to call every filling station in town. He then purchased two cars. He sold the tires from one car for more than he paid for both. Within a short time, he purchased a truck and started picking up scrap for a living. This eventually evolved into Independent Auto Wreckers. He pioneered recycling in Dubuque by founding Dubuque Iron & Metal, Dubuque Paper Recycling, Dubuque Disposal Co. and Celpro Insulation which created Ecology Control Corp. He worked in business for many years with his cousin and best friend Pete Schwartz, and his sons Phillip and Bryan as partners.

Louie possessed tremendous vision and was gifted at the art of making a deal. He never cared about money to purchase things for himself. Rather, he enjoyed the chase; the thrill of making money that drove him in business. He recently said, “I looked forward every day to putting on my pants and going to work. I just loved to work!”

His success in business was due to more than motivation and strong work ethic. Louie loved people; prominent and poor alike. But a greater love he had for the many colorful characters he schooled, whose beat up trucks crossed his scales to earn a day to day living on the sale of a truckload of junk.

Louie was a thoughtful and discretely generous man. He had a saying, “The main thing money is good for, is to help other people”.

Louis was proud of his Greek heritage. At age 75, he challenged himself to learn to read and speak Greek doing remarkably well. In 1972, he traveled to the tiny remote village of Ano Meros on the island of Crete where his father was born. There he reveled in the company of his Greek aunts, uncles, and cousins. Louie was a member of St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church. A great source of pride to him was when his daughter Maria was married at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Rock Island. For that very special occasion he learned how to Greek dance. It was an unforgettable time for him.

An extraordinary father and husband, he cared about the well being of his wife and family more than anything else. Always there as both advocate and problem solver, he provided them with love and support.

He is survived by seven children: Phillip L. (Marlene) Mihalakis, Michael (Elizabeth) Mihalakis, Bryan (Sally) Mihalakis, Virginia Mihalakis (Norma Travis), Georgia Mihalakis (Frankie Moore), Michelle Mihalakis, and Maria (Tom) Waterman. He also leaves behind 19 grandchildren, 32 great grandchildren, and 14 great great grandchildren and a brother, John (Junnie) Mihalakis, and sister in law Violette Weber.

Louie was preceded in death by his beloved wife Margaret Mihalakis; sons Ellas and George L. Mihalakis; his parents; a brother George P. Mihalakis; and his sisters, Sophia in infancy, Kathleen Jorgensen, and Irene (Hank) Waltz, Harriet Bush, and Delores Wiedenbacher.

Memorials may be given in lieu of flowers to the Veterans Freedom Center or to Manasseh House/Operation Empower, both of Dubuque.

The family would like to express appreciation to Kathy Klauer, a special caregiver to Louie, the staff at Stonehill Care Facility, and to Hospice of Dubuque who helped care for him as he approached his final days on earth.