MICHAEL I. FRANGOULIS Jr.

FRANGOULIS
MICHAEL I., Jr.
Age 63, of Shadyside, Pittsburgh, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, March 28, 2018. Surviving him are his wife, Carol (Patton) Kortanek; his mother, Eva Frangoulis; sister, Constance (Frangoulis) Michael; brother-in-law, Keith Michael; stepson, Steven K. Kortanek and wife, Alison; step grandchildren, Eve and Andrew Kortanek; nephews, Drew Hatton and wife, Jenn, Geoffrey Hatton and wife, Megan, and Ross Hatton and wife, Leah, and Tyler Michael. He is also survived by nine grandnieces and nephews, Noah, Alaina, Josh, Amber, Hailey, Riley, Drew, Miles, and Stella. Preceding him in death was his father, Michael I. Frangoulis Sr. Mike was a born leader, a born entrepreneur, and an immensely creative and talented individual. Upon his graduation from Churchill High School, he was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout and he lived every day of his life according to its principals. He graduated from Thiel College in 1978 and while there served as president of his fraternity. His greatest desire and driving force was to build a company and leave a legacy that would assure financial security for all his family and he sacrificed a lot of what life could have included in pursuit of that dream. To help achieve his goal he attended the Katz School of Business and received an executive MBA in 2001. Over the years he formed several companies. Some of the business risks he took dealt him devastating losses. Yet he was always confident that no matter what befell him he would persevere. He was extraordinarily resilient, always optimistic and used failure as a learning experience. One of his early enterprises was Christy Construction which he operated for 10 years. The firm specialized in "whole house renovations/restorations" and counted among them over 25 Shadyside, Friendship and Allegheny West homes always respecting their history and carefully preserving the work of the original craftsmen. Some of the commercial preservation work he took on included Penn Brewery Restoration, the offices of Allegheny cemetery and several URA projects. He was an exceptionally kind man, gentle with animals and generous to all even when it meant personal sacrifice. He was the definition of a people person. He smiled at everyone and talked to anyone he could engage in conversation always telling memorable stories. Yet in spite of his success he was never anything but respectful and humble. He was the self-made man always dressed in his uniform, khaki pants, blue dress shirt, and tie, cleaned and pressed to military standards. He was proud of his Greek heritage, his sister Connie's success and the success of his nephews each of whom were very special to him. He always wanted the best for them and wanted them to benefit from his hard work. And he was delighted with his stepson's success who he helped guide through his teenage years and with whom he maintained a special bond. He loved him as his own, thoroughly enjoyed being with him and the laughs and good times they shared. He was an avid wine collector with a growing 700+ bottle cellar and he dearly loved the Shadyside home he shared with Carol, his wife of 35 years. He frequently reminded her that he knew early on in life he had a soulmate out there somewhere and that he had found her. His favorite pastime was to come home, "crack a bottle of wine" and join her on their patio for "a party of 2" repeating to each other frequently "the world is a wonderful place as long as you're in it." Had he been granted a longer life he would have positively touched so many more people. But those closest to him knew he died at the height of his happiness in his short 63 years. After 25 years of sacrifice building Warner Telecomm as CEO, where each and every employee knew he sincerely cared about their welfare, he was finally reaping the rewards of a truly successful firm on a rapid path of growth that would leave the legacy of his dreams to those he loved. The Casbah Restaurant in Shadyside has been reserved for a luncheon and memorial service Saturday, June 9 at 1:00 p.m. for anyone wishing to attend. It will be casual and a time to tell your stories about this wonderful man who left us too soon. Valet Parking provided. Please RSVP to kortanek@covad.net. if you plan to attend. A brief ceremony for family and close friends will be held June 9 at 11:30 a.m. at Homewood Cemetery for the dedication and placement of the Urn. Donations in his memory should be made to The Humane Society humaneanimalrescue.org, 412- 345-7300 and/or Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team www.nodogleftbehind.org. Arrangements by JOHN A. FREYVOGEL SONS, INC.,
freyvogelfuneralhome.com