John "Yanni" Nionakis

HAVERHILL – John “Yanni” Nionakis, of Lee, NH and Chios, Greece passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on May 26, 2020. 

He is survived by his mother, Efterpi Nionakis and his beloved wife and best friend Nancy Konos Nionakis. He is predeceased by his father Nicholas Nionakis and sister Despina Papadopoulos.

Yanni was born in Chios, Greece on March 4, 1958 and immigrated to the U.S. with his parents when he was a young boy. They established their home and business in Haverhill, MA. When not in school, Yanni spent most of his time working in the family bakery, Elpis Bakery, where alongside his father, he developed a passion for baking and cooking. The bakery was well known and grew so popular that Yanni expanded the bakery into a commercial baked goods production facility to serve many local restaurants and supermarkets. After many years in the bakery business, Yanni ventured into real estate, mortgage lending and construction which he continued until his passing.

Yanni had everyone at the word “hello”. He had an imposing stature at 6’3” but had the warmest smile and personality bigger than his height.  Yanni had a gift of storytelling, and would indulge his family and friends with many intriguing life stories and interesting family history. Yanni enjoyed nature and walking and exploring wooded trails alongside Nancy and their precious Great Dane, Bo. He loved the peacefulness of fishing and hunting. He was an avid gardener and he and his wife had a passion for cooking gourmet meals with their harvest.

Yanni was a man with a very strong sense of family and of lifelong friendships.  In addition to his wife and mother, he will be sorely missed by Nancy’s son Tim and wife Lindsay Konos and their children Max and Penelope as well as Yanni’s nephews Nick and Lee Papadopoulos. He deeply valued his friendships and will be remembered by many friends and relatives in the U.S. and Greece.

Visitation will be held on Monday, June 1, in the Driscoll Funeral Home, 309 S. Main Street, Haverhill from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Services will follow in Linwood Cemetery. Please note to wear face coverings and social distancing measures will be in place. Contributions may be made in Yanni’s memory to a cancer organization of your choice or to a local animal rescue league."May His Memory Be Eternal." 

For guestbook, visit www.driscollcares.com

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