James Naum Stoynoff

James Naum Stoynoff, age 76, passed away on August 5th. Jim was born on September 23, 1948, in South Chicago. He grew up near the steel mills and later moved to the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago. In 1991 he and his family moved to Winnetka and enjoyed raising his children there and making countless special friendships. Jim's family had roots in the steel mill and construction, and he never forgot his humble beginnings. He often shared memories of growing up on the South side of Chicago with many loving relatives and friends.

Jim developed a fondness for the sciences from Mendel High School and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. After graduation, he taught math at the Sts. Constantine and Helen Koreas Elementary School before moving into the business world. Jim became partners with Edward Bacinich in the ACA Staffing Company in Chicago. During that period, ACA Staffing grew into a reputable temporary staffing agency, specializing in connecting technical professionals with contract assignments.

Jim founded Damian Services Corporation in 1981. The first of its kind, Damian Services provided payroll funding and back-office solutions for the temporary staffing industry. Under his leadership along with Alvin Block the company grew into a trusted partner offering innovative financial and operational support across the United States. His strategic vision and hands-on leadership helped countless entrepreneurs in the industry scale their operations and succeed when traditional banks refused to become a partnering source in the industry. After selling Damian Services, Jim Stoynoff founded Synthesis Solutions, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations streamline operations, enhance strategic planning, and integrate technology for growth. Through this venture, he provided advisory services to startups, nonprofits, and established businesses-bridging his expertise in science, education, and entrepreneurship to deliver impactful, real-world solutions.

Jim was humbled and honored by the many awards he received including the Arthur Andersen Best Practices Award and the Strategic Leadership Ernst & Young, LLP Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Jim was a board member and chaired several organizations including the Alliance Development for SCORE Chicago, the M.B.A. student teams from the University of Chicago, the DePaul-Coleman Entrepreneurship Center, and the Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. He was a mentor for I.C. Stars, the Micro Enterprise Reentry Investment Trust and served on the advisory boards of Orchard Village, The Aspen Institute, HCI Consultants, and V-SPANN. Through the City of Chicago's Principal for a Day program, he shadowed school leaders to better understand public education challenges and strengthen ties between schools and the broader community. As co-founder and director of The Post-Conflict Foundation, he helped rebuild cultural, economic, and healthcare systems in regions like Bosnia. He also supported grassroot efforts to improve Greek-Turkish relations.

"Dimitri, Tsimako" had a deep love of music from his Grandma and Grandpa Stoynoff. He began studying the clarinet in 1962 and went on to specialize in the research, preservation, and performance of balkan and middle eastern folk music, with a particular focus on the regional clarinet styles of Epiros, Macedonia, Central Greece, and Turkey among others. He studied under master clarinetists Anestopoulos, Stamelos, and Halkias, as well as Turkish maestro Saffet Gundeger of Istanbul Radio. These mentors not only taught him the nuances of their craft but also deepened his understanding of the historical and cultural roots of these musical traditions.

Beginning in 1965, Jim performed regularly at major events within the Greek, Armenian, and Turkish communities across the United States. He was a member of the New Greek Lads and The Hellenic Five and various ensembles in Chicago and in other parts of the country. Jim gave lecture-performances, and authored articles on Balkan clarinet music. He was a frequent performer at the Chicago Cultural Center and a longtime member of the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra. His ensemble was featured as part of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project residency and later performed twice with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra during the opening of the Chicago World Music Festival.

Jim also designed and curated Road to Rembetika, an exhibit for the Hellenic Museum & Cultural Center and helped build its archive of Greek music recordings dating back to the 1920s. He was an active member of the Middle East Music Ensemble (MEME) at the University of Chicago and the World Music Ensemble at Harper College. In addition to being featured on several albums, Jim was interviewed by Studs Terkel and remained a devoted advocate for cross-cultural understanding through music, creating and participating in several recordings over the years.

Jim always led his life with strong Greek Orthodox faith and honor for his Greek and Macedonian heritage. He was an altar boy at Sts. Constantine and Helen under the guidance of the beloved late Father Byron Pappanikolaou and spent time as a young man at the Mt. Athos Monastery in Greece. He spoke several languages, including Greek, Macedonian, Turkish among others. Jim always had respect and curiosity for other cultures, often reciting "una faccia, una razza" to illustrate the commonalities between Greeks and Italians (some of his beloved relatives) but also as a reflection of his admiration for all cultures.

Jim is survived by his loving wife, Kristie, of 46 years, and his loving son Nicholas and daughter Laura; Jim always said that the days his children were born were the best two days of his life. He was the devoted son of the late Nicholas and Angeline Stoynoff, son-in-law of the late James and Elsie Sigalos. Beloved brother-in-law of Dr. Steven and Joanne Collins. Beloved grandson of the late Naum and Santa Stoynoff, Denis and Anastasia Stephanopoulos. Loving nephew of Peter (the late Sophia) Stoynoff and the late Stoynoff aunts, uncles and their spouses Fannie, Helen, Rosie, Margie, Mike and Jimmy; the late Jimmy and Josie Stephanopoulos. He is also survived by a large, extended family including cousins and relatives in Chicago and Ohrid, Macedonia, including the beloved Janice and Butch Gio, Stevce Stefanoski and Koumbaro 'brother' to Sargon Yonan. Beloved godfather to Nicholas Yonan, Kristie Treff and the late Melissa Hunter.

A special note to his beloved "Wednesday Night Group"; he will be enjoying a Raki with them now. We are forever grateful to the dedicated, outstanding staff at Waverly Inn Memory Care, Arlington Heights and the Luxe Hospice team. Special love to Eve, George, Angelo, Mark, Ronnie, Wanees, Edward, Izaki and Sophia and other musicians who helped keep the music flowing for Jim in his final days. Additionally, we are most blessed by the unconditional love and support that our families and friends have given to Jim and our family.

A wake will be held at N. H. Scott & Hanekamp Funeral Home in Glenview on Sunday, August 10th from 4:00PM – 8:00PM. Funeral on Monday, August 11th at Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church at 10:00AM. Interment at Elmwood Cemetery, River Grove, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the family (Kristie Stoynoff), for the benefit of the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, to further the musical and cultural exchange and performances at the University of Chicago, Logan Center.

Arrangements by Memory Eternal Funeral Directors, Ltd. (847) 375-0095.