John Konstantine Xoinis

Born in Karitsa, Evrytanias Greece, he was the son of Konstantine Xoinis and Eleni Dimopoulos Xoinis both of whom perished in the Greek Civil War. He is survived by his loving wife, of 50 years, Stavroula (Voula) Xoinis, and his two children: daughter Elena Xoinis Rollins (Robert) and son Konstantine Xoinis (Angela). Additional family includes his brother James and sister-in-law Ellen Xoinis; and brother-in-law Constantine (Gus) Kythas; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. John’s pride and joy were his four grandchildren Chloe and Phillip Rollins and Ioannis (Jack) and Alexandros Xoinis.

Mr. Xoinis was preceded in death by his brother, John Nicolou and sister-in-law Voula Nicolou; as well as his sister Maria Xoinis Kythas.

After losing his parents, John and his sister Maria immigrated from Greece to the United States in December of 1950. He was brought to Augusta, Georgia by his uncle and aunt, the late Nick and Olympia Demos where he worked in their restaurant, Home Folks for several years before joining the US Military. John served in the Army from February 9, 1955 - July 7, 1958 during which time he became an American citizen. John was very proud of his military service to his newly adopted country, and he loved sharing his army stories with family and friends.

In 1958, John moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee where he owned and operated The Old South Restaurant at the foot of Lookout Mountain with his two brothers until 1982. In 1983, John and his wife Stavroula acquired The Terdon Restaurant on Rossville Blvd. where together they welcomed, fed and celebrated life’s joys with their staff and customers until their retirement in 2004. John loved people and was happiest when he was sharing his love through food. Many customers visited The Terdon daily and some felt so comfortable they would enter through the backdoor directly into the kitchen and visit with John and Stavroula prior to getting their usual meal without ever placing an order.

John lived a long life with much joy and happiness. He was humble and generous of spirit and fiercely loyal to the ones he loved- an expansive group of relatives, friends and neighbors, whom he referred to collectively as “my people.” He worked tirelessly for his family so that his children could have opportunities he never had. He never complained about hard work and long hours, nor the difficulties of his early life or the illnesses that he battled over the years. Nothing brought him greater joy than seeing his children succeed and his grandchildren thrive.

John and Voula moved to Nashville in 2010 to stay close to their grandchildren. He continued to spread his love through the expert and frequent use of his backyard grill. His famous ribs were enjoyed by many along with the fruits of Stavroula’s garden. He was a lifelong student of history, an enthusiastic debater of politics and a fan of old westerns and ancient Greece. But to those who loved him most, he was simply Papou.

John was a parishioner at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Chattanooga and Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Nashville.

A visitation and Trisagion will be held on Wednesday, December 26, 2018 at 10:00 am at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 4905 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN 37220. The funeral service will begin at 11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Iconography Fund, 4905 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN 37220.