Michael Touloumtgis

Michael Touloumtgis, age 80, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, passed away Saturday, March 6, 2021.
Michael was born on the Greek Island of Lesbos in 1940. His early years were profoundly affected by the German Nazi occupation of Greece from which Greece was slow to recover. He apprenticed as a shoemaker at the young age of 7 which led to a love of designing and making shoes. But later in his teens joined the military to help support his family. He proudly served in the Greek navy and later joined a Greek detachment that fought alongside US forces in Vietnam for three tours. After mustering out he moved to the US in 1969 becoming a sole proprietor operating a variety of businesses and eventually followed his love of shoe and leather repair. He enjoyed his shoe and leather repair businesses more than anything else because it allowed him to interact with people.

He leaves behind 3 daughters, 6 grandchildren and many dear friends. His children fondly remember --
“He was always super funny and loved to make people laugh. He found humor in the littlest of things. One of his biggest loves was the ocean, and that's why he moved to Florida; the ocean reminded him of Greece. He was a hardworking man of routine and lived a stable, simple life. He often played the part of a therapist, he was there to give advice; and he would jokingly end it by saying, 'I'll send you the bill
Bill." 

He loved writing poetry in his native tongue. When asked to recite his poems in English, he said they would not translate with the same meaning. In later life he was unable to return or visit Greece, but often spoke longingly of his home island and family. He was a profound man of faith and prayed daily.

He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

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