John Koutouzis

John Koutouzis, of Belleair Beach, Florida, 88 passed away suddenly on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. He was born on March 6, 1934, in Kalymnos, Greece to Stamati and Virginia (Corfias) Koutouzis and was the oldest of six siblings. He is survived by his youngest brother Manoli Koutouzis (Katerina). John lived his early life in the Panormos Area of Kalymnos. One of the Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea. A committed pescatarian until the age of 18, John’s favorite snack was a bucket of fresh raw sea urchins.

When John was growing up, his parents were in the sponge business so they asked him to join them after he completed school. This suggestion by his parents to have him travel and work with sponges would ultimately lead to a lifelong career. When he left Kalymnos, his first stop was Belgium. He stayed with his aunt and uncle where he learned French and German. He traveled all over Europe. Having an ear for languages, John spoke five languages: Greek, German, French, English and Italian. As the oldest child he felt a responsibility to take care of his family. His strong work ethic was what made him successful in the importing and exporting of sponges. Because he had to work so hard at such a young age, John developed a tough exterior. However if you earned his trust, he would let his guard down and his warmth and love would show.

In 1970, John immigrated to the United States. His brother Mike introduced him to the decal for ceramics business and John loved it. He had an eye for the design of decals. His ability to speak multiple languages gave him an advantage in the industry, securing exclusive manufacturing contracts with decal printing companies. K-Ceramic imports was born, and his travels continued across the US for Tile and Ceramic shows.

During a trip to California, he met his beloved wife Harriet. They married June 4, 1983. They became a dynamic duo and kept a home base in Daytona Beach Florida. Together they traveled back and forth from the US to Greece and Germany every summer. His family was his number one priority. He loved to spend time with his grandchildren by having them for sleepovers and swimming with them in the pool. John was intensely proud of his Greek heritage and enjoyed discussing Hellenic history, politics or any of his adventures traveling.

Survivors include his wife, Harriet (Giannioses) Koutouzis, his daughter, Virginia Schneider (Matthias)of Munich, Germany, his son Dr. Ted Koutouzis (Jill) of Glencoe, Illinois, and his daughter, Stamie Garcia (Richard) of Tampa, Florida; five grandchildren: Lauren Koutouzis, Lindsey Koutouzis, Caroline Koutouzis, Dominic Garcia and Sophia Garcia. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be at 11:00am at St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church, Redondo Beach, 722 Knob Hill Avenue, Redondo Beach, California, 90277 on May 9, 2022. His 40 Day Memorial will be held on Sunday, June 5, 2022, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 409 S. Old Coachman Road, Clearwater, Florida, 33765 at 10:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church, see address above.