Apostolos Nikopolitis' Obituary
Apostolos Nikopolitis passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, June 18, with his son George by his side.
He is survived by his three children: Anna (Mark) Nikopolitis-Brown, Maria (David) Juras, and George Nikopolitis; his five beloved grandchildren, Aleka, Paul, and Ana Brown, and Alexander and Waylon Juras; his sister, Maria (Nikopolitis) Patonis, and his nephews, Apostolos and George.
His older sister shared these words: "Please make sure to tell him I love him and will miss him terribly. He was my everything." Although they did not grow up together, they spent more than sixty years together in America. After her husband passed away, she often said that if she ever needed anything, she would call her brother, and he would be at her house before she could even hang up the phone.
He also leaves behind his lifelong best friend, Kosta "Gus" Papadelis, and Gus's wife, Niki.
He was preceded in death by his parents, who both passed away before he was five years old; his former wife, Alexandra; his brother-in-law, Stavros (Steve) Patonis; his sister-in-law, Sofoula Giannoulidi; his grandparents; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins in Greece and Australia.
Apostolos was born on April 18, 1941, in the village of Damiano, Greece, during one of the country's darkest chapters. His father was serving in the Greek Army during the Italian invasion and died from illness the following year, just as Apostolos was learning to walk. His mother passed away when he was only five years old, leaving him and his younger sister, Maria, orphaned.
With Greece still recovering from war, their relatives struggled to care for them. Recognizing they would have a better chance in state care, their Uncle George made the difficult decision to send them to orphanages, despite objections from other family members. It was an act of compassion that changed the course of Apostolos' life.
From the orphanage, Apostolos attended trade school, where he initially studied electrical work. He quickly earned a reputation as both an exceptional student and a talented soccer player. His best friend, Thanassi, convinced him to switch to carpentry, a trade that would become one of his lifelong passions.
After graduating, he returned to his village hoping to build a future, but opportunities remained scarce. Jobs were almost impossible to find, and even food was difficult to come by. Once again, Uncle George stepped in, sending him to Thessaloniki with enough money for bus fare, a meal, and the name of someone who might help him find work. Though steady employment remained elusive, Apostolos took whatever jobs he could find and continued moving forward.
Through his friend Thanassi, who married Alexandra's sister Katina, Apostolos met Alexandra. They married and welcomed their first daughter, Anna, in 1966.
In 1968, his sister Maria, who had settled in the United States, sponsored Apostolos and his family to immigrate to America. Apostolos, Alexandra, and two-year-old Anna boarded a ship in Athens and spent two weeks crossing the Atlantic in search of a better life.
He arrived in America speaking no English and owning very little, but he possessed something far more valuable: determination. He found work at Ferndale Fastener as a machinist making bolts for General Motors. Although he could not yet speak the language, his remarkable work ethic and his knowledge of the metric system quickly earned the respect of his supervisors, leading to a promotion into the tool-and-die department. He remained with Ferndale Fastener for 33 years before retiring in April 2003.
America gave him opportunities he never had growing up in Greece, and he made the most of every one of them. He attended night classes to learn to speak, read, and write English. He was a lifelong student, constantly teaching himself something new. He listened faithfully to WWJ for news and stock market reports, WJR's talk shows on finance, home repair, and investing, and the nightly Greek radio programs. He listened more than he spoke, quietly absorbing knowledge that he would apply throughout his life.
His curiosity never faded. If something broke, his first instinct was never to replace it, it was to understand it. He repaired cars, appliances, lawn mowers, bicycles, plumbing, electrical systems, and nearly anything else that stopped working. He completed a sixteen-week correspondence course in small engine repair, collected discarded lawn mowers to rebuild, and often repaired appliances from thrift stores or the curb before giving them away to friends and family. His daughter still treasures a washer and dryer that he restored himself.
In 1979, the family moved to Troy, Michigan. After spending an exhausting day moving, they stopped for dinner at the McDonald's on 14 Mile Road and John R. There, by pure chance, they heard another family speaking Greek. The conversation that followed introduced Apostolos to Kosta "Gus" Papadelis, the man who would become his closest friend for the next forty-six years. From that evening forward, hardly a day passed without the two talking on the phone, sharing coffee, visiting flea markets, searching for “garaz sales”, or simply enjoying each other's company. They became brothers in every way that mattered.
Long before most people embraced technology, Apostolos taught himself how to use the internet. While his children were still figuring out computers, he was already researching investments, tracking the stock market, and hunting for bargain airfare. He delighted in Spirit Airlines' famous $9 fare sales and became known for making spontaneous trips to Fort Lauderdale whenever he found a deal.
After retiring, he purchased a condominium in Delray Beach, Florida, where he spent his winters. In 2021, he sold his Michigan home and made Florida his permanent residence.
That same year, however, he began losing his eyesight. He was diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration. Despite ongoing treatments, his vision steadily declined until he lost sight in his left eye and much of the vision in his right. He could no longer drive or enjoy woodworking, one of the great passions of his life.
For a man who had spent his entire life solving problems with his own hands and helping everyone around him, losing his independence was perhaps his greatest challenge. Yet even then, he refused to complain or burden his children. He remained determined to stay in his Florida home for as long as possible.
In 2025, his family was blessed to meet Marie Lunise Dieujuste, who became not only his caregiver but a cherished friend. She made sure he enjoyed his daily Dunkin' coffee, encouraged him to go out for meals, and convinced him to spend time at the swimming pool, one of his favorite places. She cared for him with extraordinary kindness and treated him as though he were her own Papou.
Throughout his life, Apostolos believed in hard work, lifelong learning, self-reliance, and helping others whenever he could. He overcame poverty, war, and unimaginable loss to build a life defined by perseverance, generosity, and quiet strength. His greatest legacy is not only the family he loved so deeply, but the example he set through a life lived with determination, humility, and unwavering resilience.
He will be deeply loved, forever remembered, and greatly missed.
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