John Nikolaos Yigas
d. October 4, 2009
John Nikolaos Yigas, 62, a resident of Bettendorf, Iowa died on Sunday, October 4, 2009 at Trinity at Terrace Park Hospital in Bettendorf.
His funeral service will be held at 12:00 Noon Thursday, October 8, 2009 at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, East Moline, Illinois. Burial will follow at Moline Memorial Park. Visitation for John will be from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon Thursday at the church. Memorials may be made to Jane’s Place at CASI of Davenport, Iowa or to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church. McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home of Bettendorf is assisting the family with arrangements.
He was born June 21, 1947 in Istanbul, Turkey, the son of Nikolaos J. & Nina (Nikolaidis) Yigas and came to the United States when he was 18 years old. Even though he spoke virtually no English, he was a quick learner and graduated from United Township High School in East Moline and later attended Blackhawk College.
On October 7, 1982, he was united in marriage to Loretta Byrd in East Moline.
In earlier years, John was a co-owner of the "Pier" on River Drive in Moline. He later was the manager for Radio Shack in Bettendorf and was later transferred to the store in Moline. After leaving Radio Shack, he & Loretta owned & operated Cosmos Computers in Bettendorf for fifteen years. As his heath began to decline, John & Loretta decided it was best to close the store, at which time John began a part-time career at OfficeMax in Davenport where he worked for nine years.
John was extremely proud of his Greek heritage and took his new bride, Loretta to Greece for their honeymoon. Among the things he enjoyed were traveling, watching the Olympics and socializing with his many friends. He also loved looking at family photographs and enjoyed stand-up comedy. Above all else, his beloved family was the center of his life and he treasured every moment spent with them.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Loretta; his daughter, Gwen (Frank) Fuerte of Beloit, Wisconsin; his son, Nicholas John Yigas of Kansas City, Missouri; his sister Maria (George) Georgiadis of Bettendorf; and his nephew, Alex Georgiadis.
John was preceded in death by his parents.