John E Kantounis

John was born in Warren, Ohio on December 30, 1928, the only child of Elias and Arhontoula Glaros Kantounis.

He was predeceased by his parents and his daughter Toula (1967).

At the age of two, his father died suddenly and unexpectedly and soon thereafter he and his mother moved to Plant City, FL to live with and among her relatives. Two years later, when John was four, mother and son left America for their ancestral island of Icaria, Greece (where she and her late husband were born) in order to care for her blind grandmother. John lived the formative years of his childhood in Christos, the village of his families origin.

In 1942, two years after the German invasion of Greece in WWII, when unprecedented hardship, hunger and deprivation beset the island and the entire nation, John and his mother, along with several other villagers managed to escape to Asia Minor (Turkey remained neutral throughout the war) by boat. After some days of wandering around the Turkish countryside, they were rescued by British officials in charge of refugees. The International Red Cross sent them to Syria by train. In Damascus, he attended a French academy run by Jesuit priests and received an excellent education.

When the war ended, he and his mother returned to Icaria where he completely high school in 1948. He then entered dental school in Athens and finished one year of studies before being drafted into the Greek army at the end of the Greek Civil War in 1949-1950, a time of great economic upheaval and political disorder throughout the country.

In 1952, he and his mother returned to the U.S. where they still maintained citizenship. After a year of working in New York as a sign painter for the A&P Grocery Stores, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served for two years.

Upon his discharge in 1955, John and his mother moved back to Warren, Ohio where he began a 35-year career as a union steelworker for Republic Steel. In November 1958, he married Despina Batuyios (a fellow Icarian) of Wilmington, NC and they lived in Warren until relocating to Florida in 1994.

John was a communicant of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Warren and, more recently of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Clearwater. He was a member AHEPA for more than 50 years and a 65 plus years member of the Pan-Icarian Brotherhood of America, which he had the honor of serving as Supreme Treasurer.

After retiring to Florida, John and Despina enjoyed many summers at their restored ancestral home in Icaria. The mere anticipation of that yearly journey was a source of joy and exhilaration. As for pastimes and recreational activities, John was a dedicated vegetable gardener, an avid bowler, and a long time fan of both the Cleveland Browns and the Indians, attending many games at Municipal Stadium.

Our family and his many friends will remember John for his work-ethic, his decency, honesty and integrity, but perhaps, above all, for his sense of humor. He loved to tell jokes and was never happier than when he made other people laugh. His laughter was contagious and brightened the lives of those around him.

John is survived by his devoted wife, Despina, who managed and facilitated his care for the past several years and by his son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Louis J. and Tina Kantounis, and their daughters, Despina and Maria, all of Orlando. Also left to cherish his memory are many nephews, nieces, cousins, in-laws and friends of long standing.

A visitation will be held for John on Friday, December 31, 2021 at 10 a.m. at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at 409 S. Old Coachman Rd in Clearwater. The funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. and interment will follow at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park 2860 Sunset Pt. Rd. in Clearwater.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in the name of John Kantounis may be made to Helios Chapter #19 of the Pan-Icarian Brotherhood P.O. Box 490 Dunedin, FL 34697 or Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Clearwater.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in John's memory may be made to HOLY TRINITY GREEK CHURCH BUILDING FUND, 409 OLD COACHMAN RD, Clearwater, Florida 33765 US; and HELION CHAPTER 19, PO BOX 490, Dunedin, Florida 34697 US.

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