Ioannis KOSTOULAS Obituary

KOSTOULAS, Ioannis G. Known to friends and family as "Yannis," passed away on February 1, 2013 after a 10-year battle with ocular cancer. He had both an artist's eye and scientific mind. Born in 1936 to very humble beginnings in a small village on Mount Olympus, he was the first person in his entire family and village to receive a college education. After getting the third-highest score on Greece's college entrance exams, he attended Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece where he received a dual degree in Mathematics and Physics. He came to the US in 1964 on a scholarship to University of Alabama, where he received a Masters Degrees in Physics. He then went on to University of Rochester where he earned a second Masters and PhD in Physics. He wrote and collaborated on over 80 scientific publications all before the age of 40 and did significant research on neutrinos and muons. Two of the projects he worked on were nominated for the Nobel Prize. As an academic research scientist, he worked at MIT, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley and at the Berkeley Cyclotron. He also did research at Michigan State University. He worked at Fermi Lab from 1975-1980. He also worked at Los Alamos National Lab during that time. He then moved to Los Angeles in his forties where he shifted from high-energy particle physics to learning aerospace engineering from the ground up. In his aerospace career he worked as a senior physicist for McDonnell Douglas, The Aerospace Corporation, TRW, Northrop Gruman, Boeing, and Hughes. During his tenure in aerospace, he was called on as an outside consultant and averted a nuclear incident for which he received commendation. He retired from aerospace and went on to do his hobby full time - designing and restoring historic buildings in L.A. Growing up during the Greek Civil War always left an impression on him. Political activism has always been a part of his life. He was jailed in Alabama during the civil rights movement as a grad student. He loved to read and discuss politics and international relations. He belonged to various Greek-American organizations and was a resource for democratic politicians on Balkan culture and politics. He was a lover and defender of Hellenism and Greek Culture. He served as president of many Hellenic-American organizations including Ahepa, Hellenic American Council, and the Pan Macedonian Association. After speaking Greek and English fluently, he then learned Spanish in his sixties. He led politically informed hikes in Griffith Park in his seventies through the Sierra Club. He was an avid listener of Public Radio International. He had always had a great love for Greek Macedonian folk music with clarino, and loved to sip a glass of tsipouro now and then which his brother made. He led a full and active life up until the end.
He is survived by his wife, Katina Kostoulas; daughter and son-in-law, Alexandra Kostoulas and Ted Andersen; brother, Kostas Kostoulas; and sisters, Marina Babbi and Anna Kostoulas in Greece. There will be a Trisagion service for him at Rice Mortuary in Torrance on Thursday, February 7th at 7pm. Funeral services will be held at St. Katherine's Greek Orthodox Church in Redondo Beach, Friday February 8th at 10am. Go to www.lafuneral.com to send the family messages. Rice Mortuary 310-792-7599

Published by Los Angeles Times on Feb. 6, 2013.
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Memories and Condolences
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I enjoyed many evenings hiking with Ioanni in Griffith Park. He was a real renaissance man and a delight to talk with. Those of use in our hiking group greatly missed him.

Gary Moore

Other

January 31, 2022

I will remember Ioanniw (Yannis) Kostoulas for ever. He has been a very good friend and colaborator, as Assistant Professor in the University of Thessaloniki.

Cleanthis Venetopoulos

Friend

January 31, 2021

So many summers (already seven) since my dearest uncle Yannis is not in Greece any more and in Petra , the small village where he was born and loved so much. I am still thinking of him and miss him so much. Such a hugely educated mind!! He will always live in my heart and in my memories. Panagiota Kostoula.

Panagiota Kostoula

September 2, 2019

Hi Cleanthis,
Thank you for posting this picture. It is a good way to remember this extraordinary man. This picture summarizes his feelings for his native village and land he talked about so many times .
To his eternal memory,
Amen

February 2, 2014

Today, february 1, 2014, one year after the day that our friend Yannis went away, we say that we will never forget him and I ofer to his memory a foto (it is the sunset time) from one mountain of Greece.

Cleanthis Venetopoulos

February 1, 2014

I was very sad to hear this bad news.
Yannis has been one of my best friends and my collaborator in the School of Physics in Thessaloniki Universikty.
Instead of sending Sympathy flowers or something else, I made a Trisagion Service in our Church (????? ?e?a????) on February 15th 2013, and I deposited to the Charitable Office of the same Church the amount of 50 Euro (equivalent to $65).
For his eternal memory.
Cleanthis ([email protected])

Cleanthis Venetopoulos

June 3, 2013

Griffith Park will never be the same at night.Rest in peace, El Greco.

Maria Pesheva

April 3, 2013

Giannis Giannakopoulos

March 10, 2013

February 14, 2013

Yanni will be sorely missed, by so many fellow hikers. He was always fun to be around. I probably spend about three years walking on his hikes. I just found out today he passed.

Someone else here mentioned his question about the Last Pharaoh of Egypt. I'll always remember that.

Marvin

February 12, 2013

I met Ioannis at Home Depot on Whilshire about 4 years ago. He helped me bring a rug home for my annual Tree Trimming Tryst. Every year since he would come to my holiday party and the next day help with clean up. He was a kind, loving man. Some people blame God for putting thorns on roses, while others praise him for putting roses among thorns. Ioannis was the rose among thorns.

Cheryl Francis Harrington

February 11, 2013

Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time Katina.

Fr. Andreas and Pres. Mary MacLean

February 8, 2013

Yanni will be missed. Enjoyed hiking with him he loved to bring up an interesting historial story for us to ponder.

Mike

February 8, 2013

I am very sad to hear of this news. Yiannis was a customer of my travel agency for over 20 years. I always enjoyed our conversations and chats. My condolences to his family.

Despo Nicola

February 7, 2013

I knew Yanni through the Griffith Park hikes. Until now, I had no idea he was in his seventies! He was so active and youthful. His hikes were always entertaining and spiced with historical tidbits. Yanni was a shepherd to his Sierra Club flock, always making sure no one was left behind. I appreciated his consideration and leadership. He will be missed.

Emily Goff

February 7, 2013

Yanni was a true "intelligentsia" man: highly educated, yet very humble & friendly. I used to to his evening hike; unfortunately, I haven't hiked recently, so did not have a chance to see him on his "last" hike. He never told anybody about his illness. We'll miss you, Yanni.

Olga Zimnyakova

February 7, 2013

Yannis used to be on my hikes, then became a very popular hike leader and had a very large group! He was one of everybody's favorites at the Griffith Park Night Hikes and was the 'Music Man' as he was called. He will be missed by all!
Jeff Brown, Venice

February 7, 2013

Yanni is immortal through his contributions to the understanding of our universe. A super Griffith Park hike leader. We will miss him sorely.

Taylor Trowbridge

February 7, 2013

We will miss Ioannis' good company on our evening hikes. I always enjoyed talking with him.

Gary Moore

February 6, 2013

I loved Yanni. I loved to hike with him and sometimes be his sweep, but mostly to walk up front with him and listen to him talk politics and the state of world affairs. I am so glad I got that one last hike with him a few weeks or a month ago. When we started up the hill he was not in as good a mood as usual, not talking not asking anyone who was the last Pharoah of Egypt. But by the end we were talking a lot and I was laughing and we really had a nice time together. I will miss you Yanni!

roger dolin

February 6, 2013

Ioannis will always be warmly remembered by our Sierra Club
Community at Griffith Park ,his long service and wisdom.
Felix Martinez Section Chair

February 6, 2013

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