Obituary of John Hadzitheodorou

John Hadzitheodorou passed away on May 13, 2020 at the age of 72. He was born on February 17, 1948 in Giannitsa, Greece to Anastasia (Horopanito) and George Hadzitheodorou. After graduating high school, he immigrated to New York in 1966. He had few material possessions and minimal knowledge of the English language, but that did not stop John who, for the entirety of his life, loved a good challenge and never saw himself as the underdog. Ever the hard worker, he graduated from City College with a Bachelor of Engineering and began working towards his Masters degree at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. He met his beautiful wife, Helen, whom he married in 1978 and the pair ultimately settled in Watchung, NJ where they raised their three children. After working as an electrical engineer for many years he transitioned to running several small businesses in North Plainfield, NJ. John took great pride and responsibility in the community he served for so many years. He welcomed each person he encountered in his stores with his kind, warm smile and easy conversation. His natural love and understanding of family extended to his work family where he served as a father figure to many, forever maintaining peace and unity with his calm and loving nature. John was a kind, gentle, generous person who never complained even in the most difficult circumstances. When hard times presented he would say we do not ask “why me?” but rather “why not me?”, for pain and suffering are a part of life and not just for others. Every experience was an opportunity to learn and grow. He was generous with all he had- his time, his possessions, and his boundless love. He saw the best in people and looked for (and found) the beauty in the world. He was dependable, so wise, and full of life lessons he loved to share over long talks. After working late hours, he would come home with a smile, play the guitar, and sing. His beautiful voice will be missed. His beautiful spirit will be missed. He is survived by his loving wife of 42 years, Helen, his cherished children George (Lily), Anthoula (Oswaldo), Christina (Bryan) and his adoring grandchildren Sergio, Nikandros, Sophia, Noella and Kaia. He is survived by his dear sisters Evdokia, Theodoti, Eleni (Vasilios), his nieces and nephews. His love of family was foremost, and that love will live on forever by all of us who loved him. His sacrifices, his lessons, his love will never be forgotten. May he rest in the peace he so greatly deserves. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in John’s memory to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital https://www.rwjbh.org/rwj-university-hospital-new-brunswick/giving/give-now/.