Obituary of John Gianopoulos

John Gianopoulos, age 91, passed away October 4, 2014, surrounded by loving family. He was born July 2, 1923 in San Francisco, California, to John and Thelma Gianopoulos. He served as a radio operator - machine gunner in WWII, for the United States Army Air Corps. He spent part of his service in Okinawa, and was honorably discharged. He graduated from San Francisco State College, taught in the San Francisco School District, and was also a piano teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In addition to classical/opera, he enjoyed popular music including boogie woogie and Turk Murphy's Jazz Band. John's children Janet, John, and James; his grandchildren James, Jennafer (Evan Jessee), Crystal (Eric Crafton), and Troy; and his three great-grandchildren Calista, Piper, and Keegan, have all loved him. His children remember John's pleasure in sharing San Franciscan roots with them: from scenic drives in and around the city, to dining ranging from Chinatown to Mexican, to visiting many of the California Missions founded by the Franciscan friars. He was proud that his sister Georgia had sung with the San Francisco Opera, and her husband George Stratos owned the Market Street landmark the Palm Garden Grill. John loved his nieces Georgette and Grace Louise, and the families visited most Christmases. John later began serving as a Ranger for the CA Department of Parks and Recreation - Division of Beaches and Parks- which brought him to Ventura, Portola, New Brighton, Natural Bridges, and Seacliff. The latter years of his service with the CA State Park System changed into a roll of Peace Officer with law enforcement authority- before returning to San Francisco for a time. John and most of the Gianopoulos family eventually settled in Santa Cruz County. In his retirement years, he took walks to enjoy the sea views. He made regular visits to the library with his son, James, and his great-granddaughter, Calista. John enjoyed his visits to the library very much. John's family remembers how much he enjoyed their many picnics, hikes, and adventures taken along the California Coast, as many of his best times were spent outdoors.