Spyridon Armenis

Family Name: Armenis [Grk. Αρμένης]

Family Nickname or Clan: Matzestis

Personal Nickname: Liaros

First Name: Spyridon aka Spyros

Background

Spyros was born on the 9th of March 1944 in the village of Giannades, Corfu. As a youngster his hair was blonde and one day while in the valley, a donkey kept walking over to him, sniffing his hair as though it were a wildflower. There were many wild arum lillies (Arum Maculatum) located in the Ropa Valley (Grk. Λιάρος) and people began to call Spyros "Liaros" as a result.

Spyros emigrated to the Republic of South Africa on the 23rd of November 1967 following the 1967 coup d'état led by a group of colonels on the 21st of April 1967. During his military service (31.12.1964 - 20.01.1967) he was stationed at the Royal Palace in Athens where he served as a driver for palace dignitaries. He was discharged from active duty approximately three months before the military junta took control and traveled to South Africa on a work visa as a qualified carpenter.

Early Years

Spyros was born and spent his formative years in the hilltop village of Giannades located on the Ionian island of Corfu in NW Greece. His family spent their summers farming the family land (olives, vegetables, fruits, nuts and vines) in the pristine Ropa Valley and during the winter months they farmed with livestock (dairy cows, sheep and poultry).

After completing elementary school at age 12 Spyros left for Athens where he went to stay with his maternal uncle, Pantazis Leftheriotis, who had a furniture workshop in the suburb of Brahami. Spyros was brought up in Athens with his cousins and worked in his uncle's workshop until he was conscripted into military service in 1964.

South Africa

After a few years having worked at a number of construction sites from the Verwoerd Dam in the Republic of South Africa to Swakopmund in the former territory of South West Africa and Botswana. Spyros left the trade and partnered with two other Greeks in a Hillbrow nightclub in Johannesburg during the 1970's. He met his future wife, Christina Johanna, at a friend's 21st birthday party in Johannesburg. They were married on the 10th of March 1976 at the Pretoria magistrate's office. From this marriage one child was born, Private User. In 1980 Spyros relocated his family to Vryheid in Zululand, kwaZulu Natal where he started the Suikerbossie Supermarket after refitting the old Suikerbossie tearoom. In 1983 the family moved to the Western Cape where Spyro opened the first take-away in the coastal village of Hermanus known as 'Variety Fresh Take-Aways'. In 1989 Spyros and his wife divorced. In 1991 his ex-wife moved with her son to the university town of Stellenbosch. Spyro left South Africa in 1992 to settle on Corfu, his birthplace. In 1996 he constructed a traditional tavern (Kafeneio) which he managed until his passing. He enjoyed spending time with friends and loved to sing and play cards.