Obituary of Emmanuel Papamihalakis

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Emmanuel "Manny" Papamihalakis. Emmanuel passed away peacefully in his home, with his family, on December 21, 2019 in Vineland, NJ. He was 66 years old and had just fought a yearlong battle with cancer. Emmanuel was born on August 6, 1953 in Chios, Greece to George and Kaliopi (Makridis) Papamihalakis. In 1968 he and his family moved to Indiana. While he was vacationing in Greece in 1980, he met the love of his life, Panagiota. They married a year later, and Emmanuel then moved to Vineland, NJ. He began his career as a certified mechanic, operating several Amoco gas stations. He also had a passion for cooking and fell into the restaurant business. He worked for several local restaurants and even opened and operated his own, The Spaghetti Palace, in the 1980's. Emmanuel will be sadly missed by his loving wife of 38 years, Panagiota; three children, Kaliopi, George (Beth) and Dimitrios (Sara); three grandchildren, Emilia, Delaina and Emmanuel; brother, Dimitrios (Kalliope) Papamihalakis; niece and nephew, Markella and George; in-laws, Dimitrios and Ploumou (Gouvakis) Kanos; brother in-law, Emmanuel (Sophia) Kanos; and numerous loving and caring cousins, aunts and uncles. He is preceded in death by his parents. In addition to being a loving father and dedicated husband, he was an avid gardener. His pride and joy were his lemon and fig trees. He admired classic cars, enjoyed listening to music and rooting for Chicago Bears. He was an active member of St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Church and volunteered at many church events. Family and friends will be received on Saturday, December 28, 2019 from 9am to 11am with funeral services immediately following at 11am at St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Church, 430 W. Wheat Rd. Vineland NJ 08360. Emmanuel will be laid to rest at Siloam Cemetery, Vineland. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Church. Arrangements are by DeMarco-Luisi Funeral Home 2755 S. Lincoln Ave., Vineland.