John Nicholas Politis was born on April 3, 1935, in Zanesville, Ohio to Stavroula and Nicholas Politis.  He passed away after a lengthy illness on September 27, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.

Zanesville, Ohio, (Home of the "Y" Bridge) is a small town with a small Greek community.  It was here that he befriended a young Greek girl, Marianna Poles, who later would become his wife of 64 years (pre-deceased). John was fully grown at the age of 13 with a full beard (requiring him to shave twice a day). Due to his size, he was forced to carry his birth certificate to prove he was entitled to children's prices. As an Ohio All-State football player and a top academic student in high school, West Point Military Academy came knocking. When West Point's head coach came to visit John at his home in Zanesville, he brought with him a Greek Orthodox Priest knowing that the Priest would win over his parents. He received a Senatorial recommendation as part of his West Point application. At West Point he played football all four years. John graduated in the top 10% of his class in 1957. His graduating class was known as the "Black Class of 57". It earned that label because at the conclusion of the graduation ceremony, instead of marching in an orderly and organized manner, the vast majority of the graduates, broke ranks screaming and yelling in celebration. John, of course, being John and always doing the right thing, didn't break ranks, nor did he reveal that to the administration, as such, he took his punishment with the rest of his classmates. He was forced to "walk the yard" for a total of 10 hours in full combat gear.

Upon his graduation as a civil engineer from West Point, John and Marianna were married and relocated to Frankfurt "West" Germany where John was a tank commander in the 3rd Armor Division. Marianna taught kindergarten on the military base and enjoyed her hair appointments next to Elvis Presley every Friday (they shared the same hairdresser on the same day each week). It was Elvis' rhythm guitar player, Charlie Hodge, who drove John 6 hours in a military Jeep (with no side-curtains on the Jeep) in the middle of a downpour to get to the Hospital in Wiesbaden to welcome the birth of their only child Nicholas John.

Upon completing his service in the US Army, John moved his family to San Diego, California where he worked as an engineer for General Dynamics in the Saturn Rock program. In 1964 John started night law school at the University of San Diego, and graduated in 1967 with honors, and subsequently passed the bar that same year. John then moved his family to Scarsdale, New York where he became a US Attorney in the Customs Division. Years later he relocated his family to Los Angeles, where he practiced Customs Law, in the private sector. He was well respected within the halls of the Court of International Trade, not only as a precedent setting attorney, but as an honorable gentleman in his profession.  Eventually John and his son became law partners which lasted over 20 years. He was a simple man, he was humble man, he was the favorite Uncle, and deeply loved his family, he loved his friends and Orthodox faith. He was a phenomenal cook, passing down the family "pasticio" and "kourambiethes" recipes with the promise they would "only remain in the family, no xenie (outsiders) allowed."

John is survived by his son Nicholas Politis, daughter-in-law Bessie (Gallanis) Politis, grandchildren, Marianna and John and soon to be granddaughter-in-law Carolyn. We will miss the multitude of questions he posed with every conversation, his booming baritone voice and laugh, his voice mails notifying his grandchildren of the spring, summer, and winter solstice, his eclectic vocabulary and his casual use of interesting words such as "ersatz", but most of all we will miss having Pappou. He is now with his beloved wife Marianna and back in "football" shape with his family.

Funeral services were held at Rose Hills Cemetery in the Saint Nicholas Chapel on Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 11am. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1324 South Normandie Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90006.

______________________________

American Obituary is a Baywalk Marketing service.

facebook.com/AmericanObituary - x.com/AmericaObituary