William Louis Daravanis

Born Dec. 1, 1937 in Chicago, IL, Bill was the second of four children of Louis and Angeline Daravanis. He graduated from Horace Mann High School in Gary, IN in 1956 and after getting a degree from DeVry Institute of Technology, began working as an Electronics Technician at U.S. Steel in Gary, retiring in 1995 after 36 years.

He married fellow Horace Mann student and neighbor, June Stoker, on Oct. 23, 1961 and the following year watched her give birth to their only child, Scott.

Bill was an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs, and paired up with Scott to win a couple of Father/Son bowling tournaments at Stardust Bowl in Merrillville, IN.

After his retirement from U.S. Steel, he and June moved to Mesa, AZ where they enjoyed the warm winters, hiking the many mountain trails, and arranging and participating in numerous summer activities with his only grandson, Nikolas.

June, Bill’s wife of nearly 59 years, preceded him in death on Oct. 8, 2020. He is survived by son Scott Daravanis and daughter-in-law Amy Morales of Prescott Valley, AZ; grandson Nikolas (Brooke) Daravanis of Plainfield, IN; sisters Irene Palvas of Mooresville, IN and Mary Daravanis of Denver, CO; brother Arthur Daravanis of Arvada, CO; nephews Brian Palvas and Ron (Rachel) and Mark Cool; and nieces Stephanie (Steven) Litz and Ashley (Kevin) Braney.

A graveside service will be Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. at Mariposa Gardens Cemetery, 400 S. Power Rd., Mesa, AZ. In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family requests making a contribution to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Arizona Chapter, 5025 E. Washington St., Suite 102, Phoenix, AZ 85034. Please write “In Memory of William Daravanis” on the notation line.