A Friend To Everyone - Mike 'The Greek'

Click on photo to enlarge
photo by Gus Kirkpatrick 1999

Mike 'The Greek' Aspiotes is one of the most well-known and loved people in Big Bear, his huge heart radiates warmth through those smiling eyes, and a nicer guy you'll never meet.

Mike shared his good nature with our community from behind the counter of his 'Village Music' store for over 25 years, and is a loving father who always puts his kids needs first.

We've been friends with Mike for as long as we've lived here. Peggy & I went to concerts, and club dancing, with him and Cynthia, his ex-wife, when they were first dating. In 'Village Music' Mike created a safe hangout where people, yes even kids, could go in, touch, and actually play real instruments. If you were looking for a hard to find record or CD Mike would check with several distributors until he found it. Cynthia cut our family's hair, either at their home, or later, at her salon. We remember the births of their kids and witnessed Mike doing his part to raise them with a diligence and devotion that only increased after the marriage dissolved.

So it was extremely sad for Peggy and I to hear that Mike & Cynthia's 16 year-old daughter Athena was killed in a another car wreck the night before New Years Eve.

Athena was a passenger in the car with some friends when the driver lost control and hit a tree.

Another horrific event of 2005 has shaken our lives dear Mike & Cynthia, the loss of Athena breaks our hearts again.