John Stathakis ’14

John Stathakis ’14
Praise God who granted John life to enjoy among us and eternal life that he now shares with all the saints in heaven. John was born into his loving family on Sunday, August 4, 1991, reborn through water and God’s Word in baptism the next day, confirmed in the Christian faith as a young teenager, and called home to heaven to be with Jesus on Sunday, February 26, 2017. Along the way, John laughed and smiled a lot, read and contemplated a lot, entertained and talked a lot. His heart was huge, his love was loyal, his mischief and joy were contagious. God blessed him with many gifts and talents, and with many, many friends and loved ones. John knew Jesus from the very beginning and learned at home and at his wonderful Christian schools the things that would equip him for life and for eternity. John grew up in Dearborn, MI, Germantown, TN, and Shelby Township, MI. He attended elementary school at Christ the King Lutheran School in Memphis, TN and St. Peter Lutheran School in Macomb, MI. He graduated from Lutheran High School North, Macomb, in 2009, and Hope College, Holland, MI, in 2013, with a degree in Computer Science. Following graduation, he organized and began a business with a college friend, and has spent the last years growing Hex Innovation, a software company that specializes in websites and apps, based in Chicago, IL. John joins his maternal grandparents, Karl and Arlene Schnake, and his paternal grandfather, Michail Stathakis, in heaven. He is survived by his parents, Rick and Carol (Schnake) Stathakis, brother Karl (Tricia) and sister Rachel, nephew Samuel, grandma Marcia Stathakis, many aunts and uncles, cousins, friends, and his college sweetheart, Tessa. A service of praise will celebrate the gifts of earthly and eternal life given to John on Saturday, March 4, at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Macomb, MI. Interment will take place on Monday, March 6, in Hillside, IL, alongside the memory of John’s grandparents and great-grandparents Schnake. John always encouraged people to eat right, laugh more, worry less, be kind to everyone, and “just google and figure it out”. Unfortunately, over the past 16 months, he had experienced numerous seizures, and tragically, he was found unresponsive and rushed to the hospital last Thursday, where he suffered a series of cardiac arrests and was unable to be revived. He was subsequently surrounded by many loved ones who kept vigil until he peacefully passed away. John will be remembered by all the people who loved him; but John has always belonged to Jesus, on loan to us by the goodness of God, and heaven is his home. God grant that each person reading this would know His abundant mercy and grace and the salvation offered through Jesus Christ.