John George Karavas

1944 - 2024

John George Karavas
John George Karavas, 80, a resident of New Haven, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 24th, 2024, at Yale New Haven Hospital/St. Raphael campus, with his family by his side. John was born at Wright Patterson Army Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio on March 19, 1944, and was the son of the late John and Wanda Zebrowski Karavas. Following his father's discharge from the Army, John and the family moved to his parents' hometown, Dearborn, Michigan where, John spent his childhood. He graduated from Edsel Ford High School, Dearborn, Michigan, in June of 1962. Shortly thereafter, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served in the air police unit until 1966. John moved to Connecticut in 1968 and was hired by William B. Scranton, an investment broker, to work in the firm's research department. John was enrolled at the University of New Haven and graduated with honors in 1971. He held a Business Administration B.S. degree and majored in Economics. John was employed by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and worked as a Business Insurance agent. He subsequently joined an independent insurance agency in Milford, where he continued in the same role. John was co-founder of Diversified Insurance Services Corporation in 1979 and served as the company's secretary/treasurer until 1997, after which he served as the firm's president. John was active in the Hamden Rotary Club, where he participated in many charitable activities. He served as the club's president for an interim period of time before joining the New Haven Rotary Club, where, among many club activities, he also served as the club's president. John served on the New Haven Chapter of the Salvation Army's advisory board and served as the board's chairperson for a one-year period of time. John volunteered to participate in many activities for several organizations in the New Haven area, including the English Language Support Office for Foreign Students and Scholars, Yale University, New Haven, where he worked with students from Japan and China.
John is survived by his wife of 42 years, Phyllis Piscopo Karavas, his children, Kimberly (Joseph) Bracale, Jennifer (Steve) Cifarelli, Jeff (Noreen) Karavas, Lisa (Bill) Johnson and Paul Desiderio. Grandfather of Kelsey (Ryan) Hunter, Nicholas Johnson, Joseph (Nicole) Bracale, Jake and Justin Bracale, Steve Cifarelli, Jeffrey and Madisen Karavas. Also survived by his beloved pet, Maggie.
The visiting hours will be Monday, April 29th, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at The Havens Family North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue. A Catholic Parlor Service will follow at 12:00 p.m., with full military honors. Interment will be private and at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101-9929. www.northhavenfuneral.com