John Plato Vassiliou

1927 - 2018

Riverside, California - Age 91, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 13, 2018 in his home surrounded by his loving family.

John was born on Saturday, May 28, 1927 at home in his hometown of Gargalaini, Messinia, in Southern Greece to his loving parents, the late Plato Vassiliou and Efthymia Vassiliou. As a young man, John loved the ocean and was often found snorkeling and fishing off the waters near his home. At an early age, John learned the concept of a strong work ethic by working alongside his dad in farming where he was relied upon to bring home a living to help feed his family. After WWII, John was drafted into the Greek military where he served for 3 years. In 1962, he married the girl next door and started a family shortly after. Even though he loved his birthplace, his dream was to someday immigrate to the United States for an opportunity at a better life.

On November 9, 1972, John and his family (his beloved wife and two young daughters) immigrated to the United States. Upon arrival to the United States, the young family resided in Winslow, Arizona for a short while. In 1974, the family made the trek west across the desert on Route 66 where they settled in San Bernardino, California.

After a few years of hard work and saving, John achieved his American dream and opened up his own business in the food industry. His entrepreneurial spirit and the strong work ethic that he learned at a very young age was the guiding force behind his success as was his faith in God. John loved to cook and make people happy through his food and enjoyed over 30 years as a successful business owner in the food industry. John became a US citizen in 1995 and loved his adopted homeland of the United States where he raised his children and the birthplace of his son. John was an avid fan of soccer and boxing but later in life, had a passion for UFC and any MMA match that he could find. Another one of his favorite pastimes was reading the newspaper and keeping current with the latest world news and politics especially about his original homeland of Greece. But his real passion was his family. He is survived by Dionysia, his beloved wife of 55 years; his three children: Effie (Michael) Bonano of Riverside, CA.; Vickie Vassiliou of Corona, CA.; Plato John Vassiliou of Riverside, CA.; and granddaughter, Cia Bonano of Riverside, CA.; his two sisters: Sophia (George) Kretsedemas of Winslow, AZ; Polyxeni (Dennis) Tsoulos of Queensland, Australia along with many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, and two brothers Angelis Vassiliou, and Akilah Vassiliou.

A private viewing and Trisagion service will be held at Acheson and Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside, California at 4:00pm on Monday, October 22nd.

The funeral will be held at St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church 1035 Inland Center Dr, San Bernardino, CA 92408 at 1:00pm on Tuesday, October 23rd and burial at Crestlawn Memorial Park 11500 Arlington Ave, Riverside, CA 92505 at 3:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.