Ioannis K. "John" Gastouniotis

Ioannis "John" K. Gastouniotis, age 65, a resident of Naperville, IL since 1991, formerly of Chicago, IL, passed away on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at his home. He was born May 11, 1959, in Tripolis, Greece.
Beloved husband of Alexandra Gastouniotis (nee Dimas), whom he married on November 9, 1986, loving father of Dean (Liza Hughes), Demi (Alan Morris) Gastouniotis and Argiana (Eric) Stanton, adored grandfather of Nico Alexander Stanton, devoted son of the late Konstantinos and Demetra (nee Chelos) Gastouniotis, son-in-law of Argyro (nee Psyhogios) and the late Georgios Dimas, dear brother of Rebecca (the late John Aggeli) Gastouniotis, brother-in-law of Angelo (Georgia) Dimas and Steve Dimas, fond uncle of Evelyna and Ntemi Aggeli, loving nephew, cousin and friend of many. John will also be missed by Lucy and Gumbo, his daughter's dogs whom he adored.
John, a dear friend to many around the world, will be remembered for his sharp wit, cynical humor, and fierce loyalty.
He always dreamed of studying in America and in 1977 made the move from Greece with his best friends. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology and went on to get his Master's Degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. During his studies, he made lifelong friendships that he cherished dearly. He loved learning and teaching, and often spoke how lucky we were that we could spend a few hours reading a book to absorb knowledge that took scholars an entire lifetime to research. Everything interested him, but he especially loved the topics of philosophy, political discourse, and the new age of technology. The topics he never seemed to crack were which car to buy for his retirement and the best method to cook a hard-boiled egg. If he wasn't listening to a lecture on a topic new to him or on the phone with family and friends near and far, he had a soccer game on in the background. John may have been the last person in the USA recording soccer games on DVR, making sure never to miss an Olympiacos game.
Despite his commitment to building a life in America, he visited his home in Greece often, saving his vacation days to spend summers with his sister and late parents. These trips became even more special to him when he was able to bring his own family. He loved road trips, and was ecstatic to jump at opportunities when work took him to places like South Korea and especially California - a place where John and Alexandra made many happy memories. John left behind years of documented memories as he loved photography. It was a common occurrence to find him looking through albums or watching videos of the memories he held dearest to him.
In 1980, he met his wife, Alexandra. They would go on to build a life together, moving from Chicago, IL to Knoxville, TN, and then to Naperville, IL, where they settled into a beautiful neighborhood and home that John adored. He loved his neighbors and was on a never-ending journey of finding the perfect bonfire pit.
He worked tirelessly for his family, contributing forty years to the nuclear industry where he felt challenged and fulfilled by solving complex issues. But he often spoke that his greatest achievement was being a father. He never missed a soccer game, he was never late to pick-up from the airport, and when it came to his children, he would drop anything in a moment's notice for them. The bond he forged with his children was one-of-a kind - as was he. He nurtured a close-knit family, inseparable children, and an immeasurable generosity, especially when it came to his grandson, Nico, a.k.a 'Bambino, My Big Love'. John found joy in life's simple pleasures - good conversation, the comfort of a home cooked meal with his wife, or a trip to Gene & Jude's for a hot dog. He looked forward to philosophizing while watching the waves break on the shores of his home country, and there is no doubt he is doing just that in good company with some of the world's greatest minds.
A visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 4:00-8:00 PM at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill Street, Naperville, IL 60540.
A Trisagion Service will be held Tuesday, 5:30 PM in the funeral home.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, January 22, 10:00 AM at St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church, 1855 5th Ave, Aurora, IL 60504, (630) 851-6106.
The interment will be held in Greece at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of John can be made to the family that will then be distributed to causes he felt passionate about: preserving the natural environment and education for future generations.
For more information, please visit www.friedrich-jones.com or call (630) 355-0213.