Irene Elaine Milionis

Irene Elaine (Moutsatson) Milionis, much beloved mother, yiayia, sister, and dearest compassionate friend passed away leap day February 29, 2024 at the age of 88 from complications due to Dementia.  She was a real gift filled with grace, dignity, strength and positivity and she touched so many lives with her love, support and her creative spirit.  From her first breath to her last breath, she blessed all with unconditional love; a most wondrous, beautiful, all-encompassing feeling of warmth, a security with a silent direction and purpose only a mother, an angel on earth could provide.

 She was born on May 21, 1935 to John and Mary (Sarantos) Moutsatson in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.  Her family was steeped in its Greek heritage and culture every bit of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” from growing up working in the traditional Greek family-owned restaurant (Bluebird Café and M&S Café) to sitting on plastic covered couches and having family meals where eating pants (stretched waist) were a prerequisite.  She was a graduate of Midland High School, Class of 1953 where she excelled in intramural activities which included lettering in softball, volleyball and basketball and a member of the honor roll.  She went on to attend the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor for two years.  In 1955, she left to attend the Henry Ford School of X-Ray Technology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.  She graduated from Henry Ford in 1957 and went on to accept a position as an X-Ray technician in Owosso, Michigan.  She married John Milionis on April 24, 1960 and briefly moved to Kirksville, MO to complete his pediatrics residency.  They returned to Michigan in 1961 where she raised her four children.

 A pillar of her community, she filled her life with service to others and set an example of this to her children in their formative years.  Whether volunteering at local hospitals or medical service organizations or being a stalwart in her St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church community as a member of St. Demetrios Ladies of Philoptochos Society offering pastries at bake sales and fundraisers in and around Saginaw and leading Church Sunday School.  She was a single mother raising four children who were her pride and joy.  She was a court stenographer for the Saginaw Courts, a sales associate at Jacobson Stores, a medical records specialist for Dr. Martin Jaffe of Bay City, Michigan, and a medical records specialist for HealthSource Saginaw in Saginaw, Michigan.   She retired in May 2005.

 Surviving are her children, William Kelly Milionis of Westfield, Indiana, Jamey (John) Vanderwege of Tyler, Texas, Tracey Milionis of Westfield, Indiana; six grandchildren, Megan (Aaron) Metzger of North Manchester, Indiana, Remington Trick of Fishers, Indiana, Spence Trick of Tampa, Florida, Alexandra Wozniak of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, Andrew (Jess) Wozniak of Dallas, Texas, Katelyn Vanderwege of Shreveport, Louisiana; sister Joan Billingsley of Sanford, MI, son-in-law Kyle Trick of North Manchester, Indiana, and ex-husband John Milionis of Sun Lakes, Arizona.  She was predeceased by her mother and father Mary and John Moutsatson, brother, James Moutsatson, daughter, Stacey Trick, and brother-in-law, L. Thomas Billingsley.

 Irene was blessed with an overabundance of creativity throughout her lifetime as she was accomplished in the art of sewing, needlepointing, quilting, as a food connoisseur, a classical pianist, and professional hairdresser.  Her myriad talents led her to be quite prolific in her sewing, needlepointing, and quilting artistic output that included many stuffed bears and lambs, Raggedy Ann and Andy, various sized hanging quilts, clothing (made matching traveling outfits for her children, and her son’s music-themed vest that complemented his GRAMMY Award® attire), along with Halloween and Christmas decorations.  She had an incredible love of food; all types of foods and she instilled this passion for food in her children who were always looking for new restaurants and cultural delicacies to try.  Her specialty cake making was legendary during her children’s early years as she was known to prepare these birthday desserts in the shape of favorite animals.  She learned piano at an early age and became a classical pianist.  The sounds of her performing Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Debussy, Chopin, Liszt, Schubert to name a few wafted throughout the house seemingly effortlessly.  As a professional hairdresser, she loved to give haircuts, perms, and stylings for her mother, her children and her children’s friends.

 She enjoyed the loving company of her immediate family and friends as well as her very large ‘extended family’ of creative talent that included musical artists, movie actors and actresses, television actors and the like.  Irene’s daily life was filled with heavy doses of music, movies, and more music, traveling, and even more music and her creative pursuits!  Irene always relished the opportunity to travel with her children and dressing to the nines to attend the GRAMMY Awards® live telecasts and GRAMMY Week® celebrations and festivities as well as various Greek cultural dances and events and her children’s recitals, gymnastics meets, and ballet performances.  Her love of and passion for travel and music was the impetus that instilled a love of travel and music in her children. 

 Irene had a wanderlust for travel which she passed along to her children and there was always a plane, car, train, tram, trolley, subway, boat, balloon or bus ride to look forward to.  While traveling the open road in the comfort of her own vehicle, she enjoyed taking road-trips with her children always taking time to stop and visit roadside-marked historical sites like William Jefferson Clinton boyhood home in Hope, Arkansas, Johnny Cash boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas, Colonel Harland Sanders Original Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant in Corbin, KY, World’s Largest Truckstop the Iowa 80 Truckstop at 284 in Walcott, IA, traveled much of Route 66 which included a stop at Uranus, MO (what a hoot!)!   She was also a well-known historical monument step-climber; climbing to the tops of the Statue of Liberty, on Liberty Island in New York City (for which she earned a Junior Park Ranger badge!), William Wallace Monument at Abbey Craig in Stirling, Scotland, the Washington Monument in Washington D.C., the St. Louis Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, the Eifel Tower in Paris, France, and the Acropolis in Athens, Greece to name a few.

 At home, Irene would sit and swing in her hammock chair professional lounging on the patio all day long listening to music, watching her favorite bird friends while waving at neighbors who passed by.   A heated blanket on chillier days kept her toasty warm.  A voracious viewer of motion pictures, she was very fond of her favorite action heroes Pierce Brosnan, Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Jason Statham.  She was also known to revel in many a romantic comedy and appreciated a true-life story now and then.  Her taste in music ran the gamut of every genre imaginable with favorites Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and her Greek Music Trio Bel Canto, Pashalis, Elpida and Millie.  She absolutely adored a family friend who was not only a tambourine waving singing nun in both “Sister Act” movies but also the world-famous soprano in Yianni’s “Live At The Acropolis”.   An insatiable book reader she valued real life stories but also appreciated writings of her favorite authors Mary Higgins Clark, James Patterson, amongst many others.   She was known to have read the dictionary cover to cover in her youth.  And with several children involved in the entertainment business she was hungry to peruse many of the supermarket tabloids!  As a superfan of British Royalty, she absolutely had to have her monthly fix of Majesty Magazine and Royalty Magazine.  In deepest gratitude and thanks for her inspiration, creative spirit, encouragement, and never-ending support, the soon-to-be-completed in-home recording studio will bear her name in her honor:  Irene’s Magical Wonderland Studios.

 A funeral service will be held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 3500 West 106^th Street, Carmel, IN 46032 on Tuesday, March 5 at 11:00am with Father Gregory Hohnholt officiating.  The family will receive visitors at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Tuesday at 10:00am until the time of service.   Interment will be at Hamilton Memorial Park Cemetery, 4180 Westfield Road, Westfield, IN 46062. 

 In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy may consider RockSteadyBoxing for Parkinson’s, 2205 Jefferson Avenue, Midland, MI 48640 or Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 3500 West 106^th Street, Carmel, IN 46032