Mike Ballas

Mike J. Ballas

Greenwood

Mike John Ballas, a resident of Greenwood for the past 63 years, died peacefully at home on July 6, 2015. He was 97 years of age. Services will be 11 a.m. on Monday, July 13, 2015 at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity and visitation will be 9:30 a.m. until service time at the church. Burial will be in Odd Fellows Cemetery.

Mike was born on February 19, 1918 in Pensacola, Florida and was one of eight children. His parents, John and Magdalini Ballas emigrated from Greece to Pensacola, Florida in 1911. When World War II was declared, Mike and his brother, George, enlisted and both were sent to the beaches of Normandy for the D-Day invasion. George was killed in the first wave, but Mike successfully landed in the second wave. After the war, Mike returned to Greece to find his bride and married Deomi Liollio in October of 1948. They settled in Mississippi where they co-owned the well-known Delta restaurant, The Crystal Grill.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Deomi Liollio Ballas; his brothers, George Ballas and Jim Ballas; and two sisters, Samoula Ballas Panagiotou and Alkmini Karathanasis.

He is survived by his son, Johnny Ballas and his wife, Beverly, of Greenwood; his daughter, Elaine Ballas Isaak and her husband, Yianni of Dallas, TX and Athens,Greece; three grandchildren: Anastasia Ballas Jenkins and husband, Dunbar of Oxford, MS, Leo Isaak and Alexia Isaak of Dallas, TX . His surviving siblings are Nick Ballas of Volos, Greece, Antigone Polizos of Athens, Greece, and Maria Maroulis of Skopelos, Greece in addition to many nieces and nephews in the US and Greece.

The family would like to thank his wonderful doctors and caregivers over the years and a special thanks to our neighbor, James Johnson. We are so immensely appreciative of the time and love he and all of our caregivers shared to make Mike's final years so much more bearable.

In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer that any memorials be made to The Greenwood Mississippi Cemetery Association or to the Greek Orthodox Church in Jackson, MS.

An online guestbook may be signed at www.wilsonandknight.com