JOHN GEORGE CALLOS

BOARDMAN – John George Callos, 81, was placed in God’s loving care on Feb. 3, 2012, at his home, after a long battle with cancer.

Born June 5, 1930, in Milton, Pa., to George and Maria (Venios) Callos, immigrants from the island of Sifnos, Greece.

They were co-proprietors of the ALCO and Broadway Lunch restaurants in Milton, where John developed his dedication to hard work and his love for people. He and his younger brother, Anthony (deceased) were orphaned at ages 10 and three, respectively, upon the untimely death of their father and nine months later, their mother, but were raised by John’s godparents, Peter D. and Lola Pappas, who were close friends and co-owners of the restaurants with his parents.

He was a graduate of Milton High School (class of 1948), where he met Priscilla (Swanger), whom he married on Feb. 4, 1950. After completing just over a year of education at Bucknell University, he was called into military service, and was deployed during the Korean War to Germany (during the Russian blockade of Berlin). After obtaining an honorable discharge, he returned home, and finally completed his studies in Commerce & Finance at Bucknell in the winter of 1955. Upon completion of his degree, he began working for Western Auto and he and his family moved 13 times over the course of the next decade throughout the Northeast United States.

Finally settling down in Youngstown, he entered the personnel business with John McCreary in 1965, building the (presently named) Callos Companies up as a premier regional full service personnel company. Following their commitment to stay in Youngstown, John continually affirmed a personal commitment to the well-being of his new hometown, serving on the boards of the local BBB, Youngstown Club, Lion’s Club, the Chamber of Commerce and a number of local corporations. In addition to these local commitments, he also served in various leadership capacities in the National Personnel Association, the Ohio Association of Personnel (which has honored him with the Richard A. Bailey award, their highest award), and has been inducted into the Ohio Staffing Services Association’s “Hall of Fame.” His choice of profession and level of aptitude were reflections of his greatest strengths, his total willingness to help others succeed, and his complete interest in the lives of those he met.

John’s commitment to professional and community organizations was matched by his commitment to his Orthodox faith. His godmother passed on to him a deep love for authentic Christianity, which was rooted in her own family's commitment to the faith (her father was a priest in New York City). John remained active in many organizations associated with the faith through his community of Archangel Michael in Campbell, and he and Priscilla were committed to raising their children in Orthodox Christianity. Their involvement in faith-based and local charities have aided the lives of many through anonymous food donations at the holidays, purchasing toys, and through the work of his beloved Lion’s Club. He and Priscilla maintained active membership in both the Archangel Michael community, and in the community of Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and they together supported a number of regional, diocesan, national, and international Orthodox charities and ministry groups.

He is survived by his wife, Priscilla; children Andrew Callos of Howland, Mary Ann Tisone of Sykesvile, Md., Fr. Stephen Callos of South Euclid, SusanRyan of Warren, and Evangeline Ramsay of Shaker Heights, and their spouses; his 13 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and by the many family and friends that he maintained close contact with from his high school classmates to his thousands of clients (whom he always remembered by name, what they were doing, and where he placed them), and by all those acquaintances whom John took the time and care to learn their life stories within minutes of meeting them-remembering nearly every detail for decades afterward.

Viewing will take place at the Fox Funeral Home on Thursday between the hours of 4 to 8 p.m. and Friday from 9:30 to 10 a.m. at Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church.

The Trisagion service will take place Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home.

Funeral services will be held at Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church in Campbell on Friday at 10 a.m., with Fr. Steve Denas officiating.

He will be interred at Archangel Michael Parish Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in John’s honor to Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church, 401 12th St., Campbell, OH 44405 or to the Downtown Youngstown Lions Club, P.O. Box 1262, Youngstown, OH 44501.

“I am the Resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet he live” (John 11:25)