Gus Michael Angelas

Gus Michael Angelas was born on July 3, 1945, in Norwalk, Ohio, to Michael (Mike) and Penelope (Poppy) Angelas. He passed away on August 1, 2026, at the age of 81.

Gus was raised in a loving Greek family by parents who instilled in him a deep appreciation for family, Greek traditions, good food, and togetherness. From an early age, he developed a lifelong love of baseball, proudly cheering for the Cleveland Indians.

Gus attended Ohio State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and participated in ROTC. A lifelong Buckeye at heart, he remained an enthusiastic Ohio State sports fan. It was also at Ohio State that Gus met the love of his life and soulmate, Connie Todd. They were married in 1969 at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Columbus, Ohio.

After their marriage, Gus and Connie moved to Chicago, where they welcomed their son, Christopher, in 1978. Gus’s career later brought the family to Portland, Oregon, where they lived for eighteen years. They then moved to Irvine, California, where they spent fifteen years before returning to Portland for Gus’s retirement.

Gus began his career at Lever Brothers in Ohio and later in Chicago. He then ventured out west to Oregon as Regional Sales Manager for the Pacific Northwest in the chainsaw industry (Oregon Saw-Chain) where he eventually became a sales representative for all things lawn, garden and hardware. He founded his own business as co-owner of Angelas, Larson & Associates and later ASF (Angelas, Spurgeon & Frodel), a career and business he built from the ground up and continued from the 1980s onward, even carrying it down to Southern California with Sunburst Sales. Gus was a natural problem solver and a man who made things happen. If something needed fixing, he would find a way to fix it. A self-taught handyman, he could figure out almost anything and was always willing to lend a helping hand.

Above all, Gus loved and valued his family. His wife, Connie, was his shining light, and the love they shared remained at the center of his life. He cherished his son, Chris, and took great joy in spending time with family and friends.

Gus also knew how to enjoy life. He loved visiting the Oregon Coast, exploring local vineyards and breweries (he especially loved craft breweries) and following college and pro sports (any Oregon/ Pacific Northwest based teams and everything Ohio). He loved cheering for the Portland Trail Blazers and Hillsboro Hops baseball. Music was another great passion throughout his life, particularly (but certainly not limited to) Do-Wop, rock, pop, blues, jazz- everything from easy going to material with a bit of an edge. From the mainstream to the obscure, he could probably name the group and the year. He especially loved the music of the 1950's thru the 1980's and beyond. Gus could name nearly every artist and knew the words to countless songs. Music was woven into the fabric of his life and was something he loved sharing with others.

Gus was also a wonderful cook who took great pleasure in food, barbecue, and, most of all, feeding other people. His home was a place where people gathered, laughed, ate, and felt welcome. If you ever stepped foot into the Angelas home, you never left without feeling the love and joy that filled it—and you certainly never left with an empty stomach. Gus had a gift for making others feel like family.

Quick-witted, funny, generous, and always ready with a clever response, Gus had a special way of making people smile and laugh. When he walked into a room, people seemed to light up. More importantly, he had a remarkable ability to make people feel seen, valued, and special. His warmth, humor, generosity, and love for family and friends touched the lives of everyone who knew him.

Gus was preceded in death by his cherished wife, Connie Angelas; his parents, Michael (Mike) and Penelope (Poppy) Angelas; his brother, George Angelas; his sisters, Helen James and Katherine (Kathy) Fotos; and his brothers-in-law, Augustus (Gus) Fotos and David Thill.

He is survived by his beloved son, Christopher Angelas; his sister, Paulie (Angelas) Thill; sister-in-law Beth Jones (Ed); nephews Randy James (Myca) and Jonathan Thill (Abbie) and Todd Jones (Bridgette); nieces Stacy James, Nicole Cruezer (Lee), Marcie Prescott (Travis) and Jenny Martz (Jake); and his great-nieces and great-nephews Simon and Greta James, William and Hudson Thill, Alexander Cruezer, Nicholas Prescott, Brennan and Colin and Sean Jones, Christian and Olivia and Eric Martz. He is also survived by many other special relatives and dear friends who will forever carry his memory in their hearts.

Gus leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, family, friendship, music, good food, and a life devoted to making things better for the people around him. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Funeral & Service Details

A private memorial service to honor Gus's life will be held at Young's Funeral Home on September 10, 2026 at 4:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Gus’s honor to Wounded Warriors Foundation, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or Shriners Children’s Hospital.

May his memory be eternal.