John Romanos, of Watertown, passed away on March 20, 2026, surrounded by his family.
He was the beloved husband of Hayat (Badlissi) Romanos for 59 years; devoted father of Selim and Kinda; and cherished grandfather of Nailah, Anthony, Maya, and Jonathan. He was a loving brother to Janet Romanos, Leon Romanos, and the late Raymond Romanos. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
John Romanos was born in Deir ez-Zor, Syria in November 1927 to Salim Romanos Tazbaz, a descendant of Archbishop Melkon Tazbazian, who is considered a founder of the Armenian Catholic Church and the Community in the 17th century. Deir ez-Zor is a city of deep historical significance to the Armenian people, particularly during the 1915 genocide. It later became the site of the Armenian Genocide Memorial Church, which housed the remains of victims and stood as one of the most important memorials in the Middle East until its destruction in 2014.
After studying physics in Damascus, he earned a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Reactor Engineering from the Max Planck Institute in West Germany. He went on to serve as a professor of applied nuclear physics at the University of Damascus and contributed to research efforts in both Germany and Syria. He was a member of the Arab Physical Society and represented Syria at the Arab Science Conference organized by UNESCO in Damascus and at other conferences in Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Austria, Luxembourg, France, West & East Germany.
He moved permanently to the US upon retirement in the late 90’s and resided in Watertown since 1999. He kept reading and writing, always in relation to his most beloved subject, Physics, until recently.
A Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church, 200 Lexington Street, Belmont, on Saturday, March 28 at 11:00 a.m. Visiting hours will be held at the church from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., immediately prior to the Funeral Mass. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church or the American Physical Society. Burial will follow at Ridgelawn Cemetery, Watertown.
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