Nick A. Stathes fell asleep in the Lord on April 12, 2020 from complications due to an intestinal perforation. Nick was born May 21, 1960, in Los Angeles, California. He was the youngest of two sons born to Nick and Sonia (Simionidis) Stathes. He was a beautiful baby and at the age of one, Nick was entered in the Gerber Baby Beauty contest and took first place. His early years were filled with joy and contentment with his brother Chris, who was one year and three days older. Nick's unique personality and sense of humor earned him many friends throughout his school years and beyond. He was always ready to lend a hand to help a friend in need and was generous with his time. Nick was a true original, a real character and had a special knack for making people laugh. He left an indelible mark on all who knew him and is remembered fondly and will always be missed.

Nick was active in the Greek community at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles, where he was well-known and had many friends. He played basketball in the Greek Orthodox Youth Association (GOYA) basketball league and worked as a camp counselor for several seasons at the church's summer camp located in the San Bernardino mountains, which gave him great joy.

In 1978, Nick graduated from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys and went on to attend classes at Los Angeles Pierce College in Woodland Hills as well as Los Angeles Valley College in Valley Glen. He spent three years at Rogers & Cowan, a major entertainment public relations agency. Nick loved working with kids and was invited by Paul Newman to serve as a counselor at the legendary actor's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, where he spent two years on staff. Nick had a big heart and truly cared about his campers. Wanting to give them a special experience, he used his personal connections to arrange meet and greets for some of them with celebrities including rockers Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol and Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil, among others.

He was later employed by Pierce Bros. Mortuary in Agoura Hills, which was his favorite job. He worked his way up through the ranks and became head crematory technician. During his time there he performed his duties with pride and in 2006 was honored with the Crematory Operator of the Year for his excellence. Sadly, he was eventually forced to retire due to kidney failure.

On Nick's birthday in 2011, he received a donor kidney from his brother Chris. No longer tied to dialysis, normalcy returned to his life and the world opened up to him again as he was able to enjoy traveling and spending time with his family. When his father became ill, he took care of him until he passed away in October 2018, and then stayed on to help his mother. Three weeks following his father's death, he came down with a virus that rendered him paralyzed from the waist down and unfortunately did not regain the ability to walk. He spent the next 19 months in hospitals and convalescent facilities as he faced a variety of health issues. Although Nick's family was unable to be with him in person, video conferencing allowed them to be with him virtually in his final moments.

Nick was dedicated to the cause of anti-bullying and was an ardent supporter of TeachAntiBullying.org (TAB) founded by Dr. Claudio Cerullo, who became a dear friend. To honor Nick for his contributions to their efforts to combat bullying and prevent school violence, the organization recently announced the establishment of the Nick A. Stathes Memorial Anti-Bullying Award.

Nick was preceded in death by his father Nick Stathes. He is survived by his mother Sonia, brother Chris (Amy), niece Christina (Sascha) niece Brittany (Steve), grandnephews Charlie, Bowie and Denver and grandniece Stevie Beth, his aunt Virginia (Rick) and cousins Lisa (Craig), Kurt, Kailee, Jake and Maria (Phil).

Due to the circumstances of the global COVID-19 pandemic, a private memorial service with immediate family will be held on Monday, May 11, 2020 at 11am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to TeachAntiBullying.org

Arrangements under the direction of Chapman Funeral Homes - Terry & Mary Harmon, Funeral Directors. Toll free (855) 628-0447.

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Obituary notice for Chapman Funeral Homes. Please visit www.chapmanfuneraldirectors.com .

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