Dimitri Surjopolos

Dimitri Surjopolos was born on June 26, 1932, in Athens, Greece and was an only child. He lived with his mother and extended family in Corinth, and lost his father when he was around 2 years old. He lived through German occupation in Greece during WWII. During this time, his mother was part of the allied resistance and was hiding allied soldiers on the family farm by disguising them as farm workers, was caught, and shipped to a concentration camp. While she was gone, Dimitri as a young boy, roamed the streets and rotated through extended family homes to survive until his mother returned home.

When he was a young adult, he decided to leave Greece at 18 years old and looked for any countries with available visas. Brazil was the winner. With a few dollars and high hopes, he boarded a ship and sailed for months to a country he knew little about. In fact, he spent most of his time on the traveling ship learning Spanish so he could communicate and find a job, only to find when he arrived that they speak Portuguese! He slept on the beach at first and looked for a job. He was hired to do electrical repair work which eventually led to him work for Sears repairs in 1969 in the US.

He met Marli on the beaches of Brazil and they married on July 16, 1966. He followed her up to the United States and has been living here since May 1967. They had four children together in southern California, in order of birth, Marcus, Marcello, Monica, and Melissa. Marli and Dimitri divorced on December 1988 and he continued to live in Cypress, Ca. He worked as an electrical engineering technician for Raytheon until he retired. He lived in Chula Vista for a brief time before retiring while working for Raytheon. He was always tinkering with new ideas for sustainable energy and working on projects, whether fixing up cars or creating a magnetic motor. After retiring, he traveled to many places and built a beautiful home in Greece almost entirely on his own. He loved spending time with his Greek extended family and his children's families in the United States, in addition to continuing his projects and developing ideas.

When he was 80 years, he found out he had a brain tumor that had pushed most of his left hemisphere into a small area. He was so healthy and strong that he was eligible for brain surgery. He was always joking around and had a positive attitude even through dark and scary times. He lit up the room with laughter and jokes. Everyone loved him and he was a favorite at any hospital and living facilities. He lived with or near his youngest daughter Melissa in Pasadena, Hacienda Heights, and Whittier for the last 12 years before his death. The last two years of his life he spent at an assisted living and then board and care location so he could receive better 24 hour care. He passed away December 14, 2019 with his daughter and son-in-law by his side. He had been ill with congestive heart failure and dementia.

He resided in Whittier, CA at the time of his passing and was 87 years old. He is survived by his ex-wife Marli, his four children Marcus, Marcello, Monica, Melissa, and his 8 grandchildren Alexia, Priscilla, Marcus David, Matthew, Ian, Calista, Ember, and Enoch. His jokes, smile, giving nature, and even his stubbornness are greatly missed.

His service is Monday, December 30th, 2019 at Forest Lawn, Cypress, California. His viewing will be at 11am in the Chapel of Our Fathers and the service will begin at 11:30am.