Obituary: Robert Antioho

As received from the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home:

Robert (Bob) John Antioho, 92, a former Calumet businessman and lifelong resident of Calumet, who loved the Copper Country, passed away on September 8, 2021 from pneumonia, after suffering with dementia for many years.

Bob was born on June 19, 1929, in Calumet to Socrates and Emma (Richards) Antioho. He was a 1949 graduate of Calumet High School, and then worked with his father operating the Superior Bowling Alleys and Sporting Goods in Calumet. When his father passed away, Bob took over the business until closing it in 1981. Subsequently, Bob worked in the mail department at Detroit and Northern Savings and Loan until his retirement in 1991.

Bob was an avid bowler and organized participation in and travel to many bowling tournaments locally and in various places in Wisconsin.

On October 6, 1951, Bob married Gertrude Niva of Hancock in the Franklin Street Apostolic Lutheran Church, now the Zion Lutheran Church in Hancock. He was baptized Greek Orthodox as an infant, later joining the Episcopal Church of Calumet, where his mother attended. Later he joined the Apostolic Lutheran Church, where he served as a Sunday School teacher, a youth leader and a member of the church board for a number of years. He was also a volunteer with the Camp Lahti Carpenters. Bob believed in salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Bob was a member of the Oddfellows Lodge of Calumet and the Keweenaw Kernewek in honor of his Cornish heritage. He volunteered at the Keweenaw Heritage Center before health became an issue. To Bob there were no strangers, just friends he had not yet met.

In his retirement years, Bob enjoyed morning and afternoon coffee with a group of friends at Burger King in Calumet. He and Gert enjoyed traveling and visited every state, including Alaska and Hawaii. They took a number of cruises and often with one or more of their 14 grandchildren, when available. Once with four grandchildren. They visited Greece twice including the island of Paxos where his father was born, meeting several relatives. Bob and Gert toured the Scandinavian countries visiting northern Sweden where Gert was born, again meeting relatives. They enjoyed visiting Finland, and cruising the fiords of Norway and Denmark. They made a trip to Ireland when their grandson studied in Dublin for a semester, and also a trip to Spain. Later they spent a number of winters in Florida visiting their son, Daniel and his wife Susan.

Family was very important to Bob and he was proud of his four sons. He would occasionally close his business to attend sports or school activities when his sons were involved. He also loved his grandchildren and attended most birthday celebrations, making quick trips to Chicago for each of the 10 grandchildren living there.

Bob was proud of his Greek heritage and the foods and customs handed down by his father. Easter is festive in the Greek culture celebrated with a game of chukka and a traditional meal of lamb, pastitsio, baklava and many other dishes his mother prepared with those customs carried out in the children’s families.

Due to Bob’s dementia, the last 5 years have been spent in the Gardenview Assisted living facility in Calumet with Gert at his side. Bob is survived by Gertrude, 90, his wife of almost 70 years. He is also survived by:

Mark and Grace Antioho of Chassell MI and their children Peter, now deceased, and Amy Antioho and their son Mark of Berlin CT; Ruth Antioho of Chassell; Rachel and Kenton Waino and their children Mary and Andrew of Saginaw MI; and Sarah Antioho of Hohenfels, Germany.

David and Julie Antioho of Wayne, IL and their children Megan and James Wilcoxson and their son James of Anchorage AK; Heidi and John Mueller and their children Annaliese, Zachariah, Jocelyn and Hazaiah of Angola IN; Jeffrey and Bethany Antioho and their children Landon and Barrett of Streamwood IL; and Robert and Klaudia Antioho and their children Elena and David of Bartlett, IL

Michael and Barbara Antioho of Westlake Village, CA and their children Joshua and Lindsey Antioho and their daughter Hallelujah of Westlake Village, CA; Erin Antioho of Westlake Village, CA; and Lucas and Lindsay Antioho and their children Ezekiel and Rei of Simi Valley, CA.

Daniel and Susan Antioho of Bradenton FL and their children Kortnie Antioho and her children Zya and Amiri Collins of Gary, IN; Cory and Melody Antioho and their children Moses, Alexi and Liv of York PA; and Kaylin Antioho of Chicago, IL.

Bob is also survived by several cousins, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by two sisters, Theodora (Wendell) Davis, Grace (Robert) Baird, his brother Thomas (Gertrude) Antioho, brother-in-law Robert (Geraldine) Niva, grandson Peter Antioho, daughter-in-law, Lissie Antioho and great grandson Josiah Antioho as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at Zion Lutheran Church with Pastor Jay Weidner and Associate Pastor Joshua Antioho officiating on Saturday September 18, 2021 at 11 am. Visitation will be at the church, one hour before, at 10 am. Memorials may be made to Zion Lutheran Church, 400 Ingot St, Hancock, MI 49930; Laurium Shining Light Church, 246 Tamarack St, Laurium, MI 49913; or Inter-Lutheran Theological Seminary, 914 Pine St, Hancock, MI 49930 in memory of Robert Antioho. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Erickson, Crowley, Peterson Funeral Home. Online condolences can be left for the family at ericksoncrowleypeterson.com

Special Thanks to the staff at Gardenview for the excellent care of Robert Antioho.