John L. Santikos

Family, employees, friends and business associates today are mourning the passing of John Louis Santikos, who built the largest family-owned theatre circuit in Texas. John died Tuesday, December 30 at Methodist Hospital after a short illness. Born September 8, 1927, he was 87.

John is survived by his daughter, Violet Santikos, sister Kiki Pringle (husband Albert Lymberry), grand-daughter Cassandra Sophia Frank, nephews Thad Bonduris (wife Kathryn), Argie Bonduris and Christopher Bond, nieces Nikki and Heather Bonduris and Shara Lynn Graves and husband Duane and true friend caregiver Susan Schadel. It was his wish that the theater and real estate operations bearing his name continue in their current form. He had created the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation in 2011 which will be administered by the San Antonio Area Foundation.

John Santikos led a long and eventful life. He was born in Athens, Greece to Toula and Louis Santikos. Louis Santikos first came to the United States in 1911 from Greece, originally settling in Waco, where he originally worked in a grocery store. At the store, he noticed long lines of people who lined up every day to get into the Rex Theatre, a nickelodeon across the street. Sensing the opportunity, he saved his money and was able to buy the theater, beginning what would be a century-plus of involvement in movie theaters by him and his son, John. In 1918, John's father was invited by San Antonio businessmen to move to the city and enter into the movie theater business. Louis began by operating the Rialto Theatre on Houston Street, and then opened the Palace Theatre on Alamo Plaza - San Antonio's first "movie palace" and the forerunner of the Majestic, Aztec and Texas theatres.

He returned to Greece in 1925 where he met and married Toula Gatos and brought her back to San Antonio. In 1927, Louis Santikos sold most of his business interests in San Antonio and moved back to Athens, Greece where he became a successful film distributor and where John was born.

During World War II, Germany occupied Greece and Nazi officers took over the Santikos home, living upstairs while the family lived downstairs - a time of great tension and fear for the family, John recalled. When the German occupation ended in 1944, a civil war broke out between Communists and British/American-supported forces. At one point, Louis Santikos and John fled the house just hours before Communist guerillas arrived, looking for them. The civil war lasted until 1949.

Fear for his family's safety, Louis sent John and then his sister Kiki and brother Dean (now deceased) back to San Antonio in 1946. John entered St. Mary's University in 1947, taking academic courses and learning English at the same time. He earned his business degree in only two and a half years, during which time his father and mother also moved back to San Antonio.

In 1950, Louis built and opened the Olmos Theatre on San Pedro Avenue, which became the basis of the "new" Santikos Theatres company. John joined his father at the Olmos, taking tickets, handling concessions and managing the theatre in all aspects, learning film booking, marketing - a practical education from his father and by hands-on experience.

By 1958, Louis and Toula decided to return to their home and film distributorship business in Athens, with John taking over the company in San Antonio.

He grew Santikos Theatres rapidly, purchasing and building theatres up through the Texas real estate downturn of 1987, when he sold all his theatres to Act III Theatres, owned by TV impresario Norman Lear. Act III later sold all of its theatres - including those in San Antonio - to Regal Cinema. When Regal filed for bankruptcy in 2001, John was able to buy back all the San Antonio theatres he had originally sold to Act III.

In 2003, he build the Silverado 16 Theatre on Bandera Road, and followed that with the Palladium 19 IMAX in The Rim in 2006. In 2008, he built the Silverado 19 IMAX in Tomball (suburban Houston).

Santikos Theatres celebrated its Centennial Year in 2011, which John marked by making major scholarship gifts to both St. Mary's University and the University of Texas at San Antonio. An active arts supporter, Mr. Santikos believed in community service. The company he founded partners with many arts organizations, including the San Antonio Symphony, the San Antonio Opera, and the San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet. He was an active member and supporter of Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church.

Over the years, Santikos Theatres brought the "latest and greatest" in cinema technology to San Antonio. From the first drive-in theatres (the San Pedro Drive-In) and multi-plex indoor theatres, to THX and digital sound technology, Santikos Theatres led the way in innovation. More recent additions include 3D presentation, Hollywood IMAX films, HD digital projection, in-theatre dining and the city's only art-house (the Bijou). Santikos theatre patrons enjoy Red Carpet premieres and exclusive showings of concerts and special attractions.

In recognition of John's real estate achievements, the San Antonio Business Journal named The Legacy, his 100-acre lifestyle center project at Loop 1604 and Highway 281, Best Real Estate Project in 2006. The project includes a power center component featuring anchor tenants Lifetime Fitness, Best Buy, and Sportsman's Warehouse. Most recently, construction began in November of this year on Dwell at Legacy, a 289-unit Class A apartment complex situated on 8.28 acres of The Legacy complex and scheduled to open in June, 2015.

Santikos Theatres contributes much to the local economy, employing over 1,000 workers ranging from theater ushers to managers and corporate officials. Equally known for its work with charitable organizations, Santikos Theatres offers canned food drives for the local food bank, helps with Red Cross donation and the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner, and encourages patrons to support fundraisers for many non-profit organizations.

Mr. Santikos will lie instate on Sunday, January 4, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. and Monday, January 5, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at Porter Loring on McCullough Ave.

TRISAGION

MONDAY

JANUARY 5, 2015

7:00 P.M.

PORTER LORING CHAPEL

SERVICE

TUESDAY

JANUARY 6, 2015

12:00 P.M.

SAINT SOPHIA GREEK ORTHODOX

CHURCH

2504 N. ST. MARY'S

Interment in Sunset Memorial Park.

Pallbearers will be Bob Braubach, Victor Gerleman, Nick Anthony, Danny Organ, Kevin Dolan, Trey Cooper and Mike Sopher.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, 2504 N. St. Mary's, San Antonio, TX 78213.