John Papas, age 82, a lifelong resident of Woburn MA, passed away on January 5th 2023. Cherished son of the late Manios and Athena (Frantjeskos) Papas. Devoted brother of Betty Pantelis of Haverhill, who was also his primary caregiver for many years, the late Nicholas Papas and Dino Papadakis. Loving uncle of Tina Pantelis of Haverhill, also caregiver for many years, and George Pantelis and his wife Tara of Lawrence. Adored great uncle of Andrea Karambelas and her husband Youssef Anbry and their children Yanis and Hannah of Belgium, Joanna Stathopoulos and her husband Haralampos and their son Marios of Arlington, and Leanna Psaros of Methuen also God Child and all of his beloved God Children.
John graduated from Woburn High School and attended Bunker Hill College. Starting at a young age he worked at Sweetheart Plastics in Wilmington, rapidly becoming a supervisor. From there he worked for many years at The Elegant 57 restaurant in Boston as a manager, and The Odyssey restaurant in Worcester as a manager. Lastly, for many years, everyone knows Papa John as the housekeeping director and then function manager at the exquisite Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston. In addition, he was proud to bring many Greek entertainers to the Boston area.
John had the biggest, caring and genuine heart and overflowing generosity. He always showed his abundance of love for his family, proud Greek heritage and culture, great food, traveling, and love of all animals. He had an unforgettable soulful smile, mild demeanor, a sense of humor, and timeless style. John spent many summers at his Plum Island beach house, always welcoming visiting family and friends with open arms. He would make yearly trips to Greece for decades with his sister and family. One of his greatest joys was to bring the whole family and friends together for dinners and events with delicious food, conversations and spending time with family, creating lasting memories together. John was deeply devoted to his Greek Orthodox faith and was proud to regularly donate items from Easter flowers to Icons. As an animal lover, John always had dogs and cats, the latest was Muffy, who he sorely missed. He will miss his long-time buddies and close friends, Ronnie, David, Bobby, Mark, Bryan, Stan, Helen, Isabell, Charlotte, and Julie. John's presence in our lives will be deeply missed and his memory will never be forgotten. The family of John Papas would like to thank all of the Staff at Winchester Hospital for giving him such good care.
Funeral services for John will be held from McLaughlin – Dello Russo Family Funeral Home, 60 Pleasant St., Woburn, Wednesday, January 11th, at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral service conducted in the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, 70 Montvale Ave, Woburn, at 10 a.m. Services will conclude with burial at Woodbrook Cemetery, Woburn. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours at the McLaughlin – Dello Russo Family Funeral Home will be held on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m.