John A. Papadimos

John A. Papadimos age 94 of Sylvania passed away Tuesday, May 24, 2011 in Ebeid Hospice. Born June 3, 1917 in Desfina county Parnassidos, Greece, he had just entered the business world at the time World War II erupted. Like so many others he found himself fighting for his country and his life with the Greek army. Following the war he became engaged to Helen Boudouris of Toledo, Ohio, which led him to immigrate to the United States on February 7, 1951. In 1958 John was named Greek Community chairman for participation in the International Festival, held at Bayview Naval Armory for the first time on a community wide scale, as well as chairing the Greek cultural presentations at Christmas Around the World. He was elected to the International Institute’s Board of Directors in 1960, subsequently serving on the executive committee up to 1969. Thus began an almost quarter century of dedicated involvement with the International Institute (I. I.) In 1962 he was named chairman of the I.I. Welcoming Committee for the World Wrestling Tournament, and in 1963 he chaired the nationality dinner to raise funds for the newly purchased building at 2040 Scottwood. He started the Greek Community Booth at the International Festival of Toledo. When the International Festival ended, he continued the tradition as one of the founders of the Greek American Festival. John is a past president of the Holy Trinity Greek Community (1975) and was a member of it’s board, past president of the men’s service organization AHEPA (1960-61) and recipient of the “AHEPA of the Year” award (1963). John was also a master mason and member of the former Collingwood Lodge, now the Damascus Lodge #643 of F & AM. He started his restaurant business in 1960 with the well known Chuck Wagon, renaming it The Branding Iron Lounge after a fire in 1967. He sold the restaurant in 1987 and retired. He was preceded in death by his wife Helen; brothers Eustathios and Demetrios Papadimos; and sisters Maria and Euthemia. Surviving are sons Thomas (Areti Tsavoussis), Peter and Steven (Chris Kanios) Papadimos; grandchildren Alexa, Sophia, Mary, Yianni and Jimmy; and a host of relatives including the Papademos, Boudouris, Yakumithis, Papageorgiou and Gallapis families. Friends and family may visit at the Walker Funeral Home and Crematory 5155 Sylvania Ave. (west of Corey) on Thursday from 2-9 PM where Trisagion services will be held at 7:30 PM. Funeral services will be held Friday at 10 AM in Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 802 N. Superior St. Toledo with interment to follow in Toledo Memorial Park. The family suggests memorials to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral Memorial Fund. Special thanks to the Toledo Hospital nurses (8th floor), Flower Hospital Nurses (5th floor), the staff at Lake Park Rehabilitation Center, the staff at Ebeid Hospice of the Flower Hospital campus, Tender Touch Homecare and Koula, Yanna, Julie and the Yakumithis family.