Michael Arvanitas

Michael Arvanitas, 93, beautifully passed away surrounded by family, on April 25, 2023, shortly after enjoying a Greek feast celebrating Easter. Michael was born on December 23, 1929, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he worked and lived until he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. After a brief stint in the US Army during the Korean War, he moved to Utah to pursue a career in teaching. While earning a teaching certificate at BYU, he met and married his life-long companion, an Idaho farm girl, RoLene Wistisen. They were married in the Idaho Falls Temple in 1957 and were always at each other’s side for 66 years.

Our father often pointed out that he never rose to any great level in business, community or even church service. He was a simple unassuming man with a quiet dedication, a big kind heart and perseverance in life. He was a deeply spiritual man, an active member in the Church of Jesus Christ, dedicated in all his church callings as a temple worker, home teacher, and other assignments. He was a good neighborhood friend to those all who were around him. He enjoyed connecting to and teaching youth. As a schoolteacher he taught History at Skyline High School for more than 30 years. During this time, he received his Master of Arts from the University of Utah. In church, he was involved in Scouting and often took his sons camping in the Wasatch range. For a few Summers he managed youth work crews for the US Forest Service maintaining the parks and grounds in Big Cottonwood canyon.

He loved his Greek heritage and would continually listen, read and study literature in Greek. He constantly worked to maintain and improve his conversational Greek abilities. He helped translate general conference addresses for the Church Of Jesus Christ. He lamented that he had to resort to acquiring literature translated to Greek from Italian, French and British writers and thinkers and that El Greco was the last of the Renaissance Greeks.

He was not a fan of hardware stores in that he preferred to tinker, adjust, and repair non-functional or even improve perfectly functional items with electrical tape, wire, c-clamps or available screws and bolts from his garage. There was the right way to fix things and then there was Mike’s way, which often was temporary and wasn’t as good as the right way to fix things. In this case, better memories have been made with Mike’s way of “fixing” things that are continually being discovered around the house.

His greatest accomplishment in life was his marriage to his wife RoLene and caring for and raising their family, Lorrell (Michelle), Scott (deceased), Steven (Kristy) and daughter Kristie Kae (David) Frost. He also leaves behind 9 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. To him, he was their Dad, Papa, Patera, Grandpa and Pappou. In all, they were his greatest love. At the end of his life, he spoke often that it was time for him to be reunited with his son Scott. We are comforted in the knowledge that the pains of losing a son have been replaced with a joyous reunion.

Our family would like to thank the staff of Riverway Assisted Living in South Jordan, UT and Active Home and Hospice for their care and compassion our father was given this past year.

A viewing will be held at the Whitmore Ward, 6890 South Whitmore Way, Cottonwood Heights, Utah on May 21st from 6-8 PM. Funeral Services will be held at the Whitmore Ward on May 22nd from 11-1 PM to be followed by a Greek feast, Friends and Family are invited to stay for the luncheon. Interment will be in the Bancroft, ID Cemetery on May 23.