John Yiannakakis
OBITUARY
John was born in 1957 on the banks of the Mississippi River in Alton, Illinois, where his grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins lived. He grew up in Saudi Arabia, where he thrived. He lived near a beach, walked to school, and had tons of friends. On weekends, he would get up early to crew on his dad’s sailboats. He was always a joy to be with, with a twinkle in his eye.
With a sharp mind and an insatiable drive, school and work were a breeze for him. He attended Pinewood American International School in Thessaloniki, Greece. He graduated from the University of Arizona and received his master’s in international business from Thunderbird. He had a gift for languages and was fluent in Greek and Arabic, and he was a stickler for English grammar.
He ended up working and living in San Diego, California. John was an accomplished operations and financial professional in highly scientific engineering fields. He found great success as a friend and colleague.
He married Jennifer and raised a wonderful son, Manoli. John took the most pride and enthusiasm in being a father; everyone he met knew about his Manoliki. Born in 1984, Manoli remembers most fondly his dad’s gregarious, welcoming spirit. It was said that he never left a party without addressing all the attendees by name. And he never let a dinner be paid for by anyone else. He was also a devoted brother to his sister, Amalia, and brothers Costa and Alex. He called them daily and always ended his calls with, “I love you !”.
John will be missed by all who knew him.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to any of the following charities: Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), or Heart House.