John G. Kotsonis

1933 - 2022

May 2, 1933 - March 16, 2022 Beloved father and Papou, John was born in Kalamata, Greece to George Kotsonis and Helen Antonopoulos Kotsonis; sister, Minnie Ball (Gary), and brother, Peter Kotsonis (deceased). John immigrated to Staten Island in 1946 and attended McKee High School. In the 1950s, he worked for Cole Products and advertising, but his true calling was the restaurant business. John worked at the Terminal Snack Bar in the Whitehall-Staten Island Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan. In 1955 he served coffee to a young lady named Irene Manolakos, who would later become his wife. Together they raised their two children, George (Randi) and Gus (Jane). Anyone who took the Staten Island Ferry would have had at least one interaction with John at the snack bar where he worked for 30 years, or on the ferry boat. He was a familiar and friendly face in the terminal, serving beer, coffee, and pizza with a smile. Upon retiring in 1985, John went on to live in Greece to run his family hotel and returned to spend winters in New York. After losing his wife Irene in 2008, he divided his time between Greece and New York, finally settling in Bohemia, Long Island. Spending time with his grandchildren (Eddie, Christopher, Alexandra, Gianna, Dino, Jonathan), great-grandson (Eddie), and his whole family was his passion, and he was incredibly proud of them. John was a diehard NY Rangers fan. He loved the Mets and the NY Giants (football). OTB and the horse track were some of his old stomping grounds. He enjoyed all cowboy-western movies in his older years, especially, 'Shane.' Cooking and learning new recipes were his favorite hobbies. He was energetic, charismatic, and generous, and he loved with his whole heart. Farewell to our dad, father-in-law, uncle, and most of all, Papou! There will never be anyone like him. Visitation will take place between the hours of 9:00 AM & 10:00 AM on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at Holy Trinity St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 1641 Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM. Interment is at 11:45 AM at Moravian Cemetery 2205 Richmond Road, Staten Island, NY 10306.