Ioannis (John) Kontalis

With shattered hearts and great sorrow, John, our beloved Husband, Father, Brother, and Pappou, unexpectedly passed away on September 14, 2022, in Calgary.

He was born on March 2, 1959, in Louka, Tripoli, Greece, and immigrated to Canada with his Mom, Dad, and brother, George, in 1973. A visionary man born before his time, John was ambitious, determined, a high achiever, and a hard worker from the age of fourteen. By the tender age of 17, he became the co-owner of Tinos Pizza. He went on to become a successful entrepreneur, opening many other businesses. He was born with ‘filotimo,’ generous like no other, with a strong desire to please, serve and feed everyone he met.

For the past 18 years, John, with his wife Angie and five daughters, revived Uncle Jim’s legacy by owning Spiros Pizza on 17th. John’s hands were made of gold, and his heart was larger than his stature. A Master Chef who created recipes and new dishes on our menu and could make a meal for fifty people in a matter of minutes! He fed countless Calgarians, visitors, dignitaries, and many of our customer’s children while sitting at his usual chair at the Staff table! Everyone who met John instantly loved him. He was a philanthropist who loved his church, being an active member of the Hellenic community, his local communities, and any organization that benefitted children.

By far, his greatest accolade was his family! A “lovey-dovey” at heart, John fell in love with Angeliki at first sight. He was our Mom’s Yianni! By God’s grace, their five daughters were born, Kristina (Travis “Demetrios”), Anjelika, Annah-Aliki, Dimitra (Panayiotis), and Katerina - Beba. John was so proud of his daughters and all their accomplishments. His greatest joy was his four grandchildren (Ioannis, Katiyana, Gabriella, and Anjelina). He cooked for them every day, meals made from love. He loved Travis, trusted him immensely, and had faith in him to carry on the legacy of Spiros by opening up a second location.

Throughout our Dad’s life, he had a litany of medical problems. His only brother, George, generously gifted a kidney, which in turn afforded Dad a better quality of life, and for this, we are so grateful. It did not matter what Dad was going through; his strength and perseverance were fuelled by his endless love for his wife and daughters. Dad knew he was blessed and highly favoured by God! His faith and prayers helped him to overcome every health obstacle. We would see him doing his cross throughout the day, and that’s how we knew he had just finished a prayer. Just as Jesus loved his disciple John the most, we eternally love our beloved father the most. We would call him “Bionic John,” for he will always be our miraculous Dad.

Our Dad had a king-size sense of humour and loved pranking our Mom and joking with everyone. His storytelling was captivating. When Dad laughed, his entire body would jiggle.

We are devastated by this tremendous loss, and we mourn his passing. He is survived by his beloved wife; Angie, his five daughters; his son-in-law; his future son-in-law; and his precious four grandchildren. His only brother George (Helen) and their three daughters and families; his father Aristidis in Greece; his sister-in-law Betty (Paul) and their three children; brother-in-law, Kostadinos and beloved Uncles, Aunts, and numerous Cousins in Calgary, Greece, USA, and Australia.

John was predeceased by his mother, Katerina; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Christina and Demetrios; and his beautiful godson; Greg. In addition, we want to thank the angels that took care of Dad here on earth during his hospital journey, the many nurses, doctors, and staff at the ICU, and Unit 94 at the Rockyview General Hospital.

We believe that our Heavenly Father has our Dad hidden under the shadow of his wings in the Sacred place of the Most High, with his kind eyes and beautiful smile looking down upon all of us now. We will honour our father’s legacy, cherish and celebrate our love for him, and emulate his service and philanthropy through us, and the future children he is preparing.

Family, friends, and all of our customers are invited to Prayers at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (1 Tamarac Crescent SW) Sunday, September 25, 2022, at 6:00 pm. A Funeral Service will be held at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church on Monday, September 26, 2022, at 11:00 am, with Rev. Thomas Sandberg officiating. Luncheon will be served immediately after interment.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ioannis (John) Kontalis, please visit our floral store.