John W. Koutrobis, 69 years old, passed away with his wife by his side on March 13, 2021. John is the son of Christos and Pota Koutrobis, of Lowell, Massachusetts, a city where he spent his childhood exploring the neighborhoods where he lived, on Butterfield and Draper Streets, and loved to reminisce about his adventures growing up. After graduating from high school, he spent his college years in Athens, Greece attending Deree College and serving as an Air Force Reservist at the U.S. Air Force Base in Athens. John later obtained his master’s degree in teaching, making a significant impact on countless students he taught in his 34 year career with the Boston Public School system at West Roxbury High School, Mattahunt Elementary School (Mattapan), Kenney Elementary School (Dorchester) and Condon Elementary School (South Boston). John taught students in the Greek Bilingual Program and 3rd, 4th and 5th grade Special Education Program.
John’s love for teaching didn’t end in the classroom. During his summers off as a teacher, he owned and operated Joseph’s Pizzeria on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. John ran Joseph’s for 38 years before retiring in 2019. He spent every single day of the summer running the restaurant, constantly looking to improve the business and make customers happy. He treated all his employees like his students, always teaching, encouraging, and helping them succeed.
For anyone who met John, he always left a lasting impression with his charismatic personality and ability to overcome all barriers despite having multiple sclerosis. Though he was diagnosed at the age of 30, he never allowed the illness to stop him from traveling the world with his family, becoming a successful businessman, and taking full advantage of all that life offered him.
He will be greatly missed by his family that he helped raise with his loving and dedicated wife Sofia (formerly Drougas) in Norwell, Massachusetts: his daughter Panagiota and husband Antonios Athinelis of Medford, his daughter Katerina and husband Justin DiCristofalo of Quincy, his daughter Christina and her husband Michael Regan of Duxbury, and his son Christos and girlfriend Kerry of Boston. He is also survived by his grandson John, his pride and joy, his mother Pota, his sister Valerie Murphy, her husband Terry and nieces of Chelmsford, his brother-in-law Ernie Drougas and nephews of Bourne, and many koumparoi, cousins and dear friends.
Though there will be no public services, John’s family asks that you make a donation in his name to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at
https://mssociety.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.personalCampaign&participantID=35211.