John Peter Nionakis

I am having my 50th reunion coming up and in going through my HHS yearbook I came across John or as a student at Hingham High School “Mr. Nionakis”. I believe it was the summer of 1973 that I went to Madrid and Santander, Spain with a group of probably 14 students and two of his nieces. He was a great chaperone and a father figure to all on the trip. I remember him sitting outside the hotel nightly that we lived in for roughly a month in Santander and having discussions about my day with...

I am sorry that I did not see this until now, John's passing will leave a great void in the world. I will never forget him as he was a great inspiration to me as a Spanish teacher and I have fond memories of the summers we worked together in Spain. His contribution to the lives of so many young people has been phenomenal. Descanse en paz, profesor.

John was a friend and a true gentleman. He will always be part of my memories.

There is an old saying, "When you teach your son, you teach your son's son." Well, Senor Nionakis has taught thousands of "sons" and therefore, their sons. Hingham High School will never forget the impact that Senor Nionakis had on the foreign language department. He laid the strong foundation of the rich program and the ability to attract the best teachers like Mr. McAuliffe and Mr. Finn. This fertile ground that Mr. Nionakis tilled gave me the desire to pursue Spanish in Spain and today...

This is such sad news. My heart goes out to his family. Monsieur Nionakis was one of my favorite and best teachers. I graduated HHS in 1992 and he was my French teacher. I was always impressed with his knowledge of so many languages and his ease with teaching and speaking each one. He was a true gentleman and a wonderful teacher. He will be missed.
Jessica Marcus Grogins

This is such sad news. My heart goes out to his family. Monsieur Nionakis was one of my favorite and best teachers. I graduated HHS in 1992 and he was my French teacher. I was always impressed with his knowledge of so many languages and his ease with teaching and speaking each one. He was a true gentleman and a wonderful teacher. He will be missed.
Jessica Marcus Grogins

It was a personal and professional honor to know and work with John in the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association over many years. John was a gentleman and a scholar. His legacy lives on.

Kathleen M. Riordan, Springfield, Ma

A wonderful human being I have known since my childhood. My French teacher in Hingham! My dad's best friend. What a sincere, gracious and wonderful man. Nike, Dimitri and Peter, my heart goes out to you in your loss. Deepest sympathies to you all.

Sharing in your sorrow and offering heartfelt sympathy.