John Peter Gounaris

John Peter Gounaris, age 80, passed away on Thursday, August 28, 2014 at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, MD. John was born on March 25, 1934 in Brooklyn, NY to the late Peter James Gounaris and Helen Georgiatou.He was preceded by his parents and his brother James Gounaris. John grew up in Brooklyn, NY, graduating from the PSI Science School, after which he joined the Navy, became a medic, and traveled the world. After honorable discharge from the Navy, John pursued a career in broadcast engineering, and embarked for Richmond, VA to pursue his start in the field. There he met and later married Helen Cassidy. John worked in several technical writing and engineering positions over the years while pursuing a degree from the University of Maryland. John retired from the Vitro Corporation. He was known by friends and family for his humor, keen intellect and the love of a good debate. He had a love of learning, and was an avid student of philosophy and religion. He enjoyed spending time with his family, and was a loving father and grandfather. John is survived by his wife, Helen Gounaris, daughter Kelley Biser, beloved granddaughter Nicole Biser, and son in law Joseph Biser. A graveside service will be held Tuesday, September 2, 2014 at 2:30pm in Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg, VA with the Reverend Friar Andreas Markotoulos officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in John's name to the American Cancer Society, 801 Roeder Rd., Suite 800, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Condolences may be registered at www.jtmorriss.com