John James Chokos

John James Chokos, age 81, left us in the evening of February 27, 2017. He is survived by his devoted wife, Betty Hill Chokos, and children, James Chokos (Sia), Ruth Chokos, Julie Peters (George), Kim Aikens (Mike) and Nicole Richardson (Stephen). He was a delightful and entertaining pappou to Alexis, Mackenzie, Chase, Colton, Amber and Stephanie and godfather to Christine, Stephanie, Chelsea, Steve and Dale. He is also survived by five great-grandchildren, a brother, George Chokos (Joanne) of Fort Lee, NJ and several nieces and nephews.
John was proud of his service in the U.S. Air Force, particularly time spent in Iceland. He was an active member of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church, serving as a member and president of the Parish Council for many years. He was a well-known and respected businessman, making friends all over downtown Savannah and adjacent communities as owner of the Pedersen-Chokos & Co. Insurance Agency. As a Certified Insurance Counselor, he participated actively in the Georgia Assoc. of Mutual Insurance Agents and the Independent Insurance Agents of Savannah, serving as president of each organization.
This man was a gift and a blessing to any person he encountered; people willingly shared their stories with him and instantly became his friend. He accepted and respected all people equally. He earned awards and recognition from the Savannah Jaycees for his contributions to the community. As a young man in NYC, John joined AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational and Philantropic Association), an organization that promotes cultural and educational opportunities for young people. He served as president and remained active in AHEPA until a few months ago.
Someone once said, "Life is like a giant puzzle. Each of us has the strength inside to put the puzzle together." The loss of John has created a giant hole in our life puzzle. We have wonderful memories of his love/hate relationship with the Atlanta Falcons and Braves-watching games with him was fun-yelling at coaches and refs . Even though he loved interacting with people, he also could entertain himself with a book, newspaper, movie, etc. His vibrant, infectious personality and booming voice filled any room he entered. These some of the memories that will help us complete our puzzle.
Our family is very grateful to Hospice Savannah for assistance with all John's needs so we could care for him at home. We were particularly blessed to have Roland Rodriguez, CNA and Tasha Jansen, RN to care for him, becoming our friends and buddies in the process. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to St. Jude Children's Hospital and Hospice Savannah.

Visitation: 5 - 7 p.m. Thursday at Baker McCullough Funeral Home, Hubert C. Baker Chapel.
Trisagion Services: 7 p.m. Thursday in the Hubert C. Baker chapel.
Funeral Services: 11 a.m. Friday at St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church, with Father Vasile Mihai, officiating.
Interment: will follow in the Greenwich Section of Bonaventure Cemetery.
Baker McCullough Funeral Home, Hubert C. Baker Chapel is in charge of arrangements.