John Apthanosios Stouras

Ioannis Stouras was born in Lykouria, Greece on June 14, 1926 to his father Athanasios Stouras and his mother Anastasia Stouras (maiden name Andrikos). Lykouria is a small mountain village in the Kalavryta district in the region Achaia located in the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece.

Ioannis had two younger siblings, Eleni and Panayiotis (“Pete”). There were two other siblings, however they did not survive infancy which was not an uncommon occurrence in subsistence villages throughout Greece in the early to mid-20th century.

Life was difficult and full of challenges for Ioannis throughout his childhood and formative years. Following the worldwide economic depression of the 1930’s, Greece entered World War II on October 28, 1940 as the sole ally to the United Kingdom against the Axis powers of Germany and Italy. In April 1941, Germany invaded Greece and the Nazi occupation of Greece began.

Severe hardship and the disruption of the basic needs to survive confronted Ioannis and his family throughout World War II. On December 13, 1943 in the nearby market town of Kalavryta which was 20 miles from the family’s home, the German Army’s 117th Jager Division massacred 693 Greek male civilians with firing squads using machine guns and rifles. This event is known as the Kalavryta Massacre and refers to the near-extermination of the male population and total destruction of the town of Kalavryta on that single day.

Following World War II, the Greek Civil war began. The Greek Civil War was fought between the Greek government army (supported by the United Kingdom and the United States) and the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) — the military branch of the Communist Party of Greece (supported by Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia, and covertly by the Soviet Union via their Eastern European proxies) from 1946 to 1949. The fighting resulted in the defeat of the DSE by the Hellenic Army. Ioannis was conscripted into the Hellenic Army and saw action in Northern Greece, primarily in Ioannina in Epirus. All of Ioannis’s family suffered during this brutal time.

After the Greek Civil war, Ioannis eloped with Zaharo Kaias, and they married. On January 7, 1952, Ioannis and Zaharo had their first child, Alekos Stouras (“Alec”). Alekos was born notably on Ioannis’s nameday.

Ioannis decided to emigrate to the United States under the sponsorship of his uncle, Philipos Andrikos who had emigrated to San Jose, California decades before.

Upon his arrival to the United States in 1954, as was customary among immigrants to the United States at the time, Ioannis adopted the anglicized version of his Christian name and began to be known as “John.”

John did not speak any English when he first arrived in the USA, but he studied and learned English as he held basic jobs early on. He later proudly said that he always worked hard and started in the USA as a restaurant dishwasher. While providing for his family as such, John began training as a Sheet Metal worker, simultaneously working in a factory job with the Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation (FMC). Not long after, John entered the Sheet Metal Workers Union, a trade that served him well throughout his whole working life.

On August 30, 1956, John and Zaharo had their second child and daughter, Hilda Stouras (a.k.a. “Lisa”). Hilda was named after the wife of John’s Uncle Philip Andrikos.

On December 29, 1960, John and Zaharo had their third child, Tom Stouras (“Athanasios”). John later declared that on that same day, after years of waiting, he proudly became a citizen of The United States of America.

In 1965, the family moved from their home on Bristol Drive in the eastside of San Jose into a newly built home in the Cambrian area of San Jose on Curtner Avenue. This became the decades-long home for John and his family.

Difficulty and tragedy were never far from John’s experience, and on October 28, 1969 his beloved wife Zaharo died at her own hand. Although John never really understood the reason for his wife’s passing, he soldiered-on again just as he did during his formative years. This event however was a central and defining episode in John’s life and for his children.

Some time later, John married for the second time to a woman from New England called Charlotte. The marriage did not last long and by the mid 1970’s, John was to live a content bachelor’s life for the rest of his days.

John experienced the joy of grandchildren and many frequent gatherings over many years with his beloved extended family.

For over three decades during his retirement, even well into his 80’s, John enjoyed travelling and visited Greece a number of times, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, and he travelled within the United States and Canada. He sustained a number of lifelong relationships including that of his dear friend Litsa Melis. John enjoyed the outdoors and animals, and he always kept pets in his household, mostly cats.

On Easter Day in 2020, during the early days of the Covid pandemic, John’s son Alec passed away. Not long later, John’s physical health started to decline, and in the summer of 2020, he fell and had to be hospitalized. Although he recovered physically, he was never able to return home again as he required around the clock assistance. Even during this time of isolation due to Covid restrictions, he was always concerned with the safety and happiness of his family and, not to be forgotten, his cats.

One year and one day after his son passed away, John passed away peacefully in San Jose, California on April 20, 2021 at the age of 94 during Lent. On the day he passed away, his daughter was able to visit and be with him in peace.

He was a rock solid and central figure within his family. Even though he endured many difficult hardships throughout his life, John never succumbed and was always full of life and spirit. He was loved by most who met him as he was always cheerful, friendly, and never pretentious. The writer of this mini biography can attest to his strength, fortitude, and his beautifully simple and unflappable ability to live life.

May his memory be eternal!

Ioannis “John” Stouras is survived by his daughter Hilda “Lisa” Thomas, his son Tom J. Stouras, and his brother Panayiotis “Pete” Stouras and his grandchildren Steph Nakib, Norman John Thomas, Gabriella Stouras and John Alec Stouras.