It is with great difficulty and sadness that we as JJ’s family write to you all in order to announce the cancelation of his Celebration of Life memorial service scheduled for Saturday – March 21st at Palm Mortuary on Eastern. This decision was an extremely difficult yet necessary one as we take the advice of our nation’s leaders and highly consider the importance of your (and our community’s) health, safety, and well-being. JJ’s ceremony with you all is vitally important to us in our grieving and healing processes, as we know it is with you, and his services will be rescheduled with Palm on a date and time to be determined in the future. We have absolutely loved reading the special memories and feelings each of you have shared on JJ’s memory board with Palm. These postings and pictures are all being bound into a hardback memory book for us as a family which we will cherish forever! Thank you for your words, thoughts, and tributes to our amazing JJ. He is so dearly missed!
With Our Deepest Gratitude,
John and Judy (JJ’s Parents)
Jamie (JJ’s Brother)
Melissa and Joses (JJ’s Sister & Brother-in-Law)
Nikos and Eleni (JJ’s Nephew & Niece)
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John Alexander Dantis, most commonly known to his family and friends as JJ, was 41 years old at the time of his passing on February 23, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was born on January 28, 1979 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is survived by his parents John and Judy, younger brother Jamie, older sister Melissa, brother-in-law Joses, nephew Nikos, and niece Eleni. He also has an abundance of aunts, uncles, and cousins across the states of New Mexico and California as well as the country of Greece.
JJ moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2000 where he worked for Southern Nevada Courier Company and Johnston A/C Heating Company. During his delivery travels JJ became a reliable and trusted go-between for his workplaces and the test site in Nevada. He secured a position at the Nevada test site in January 2012 until the present day where he worked as Nuclear Facility Operational Specialist II. He is remembered by his administrators and co-workers as dedicated and focused with a strong worth ethic, personable and friendly demeanor, and most importantly always willing to help anyone whenever he could - without hesitation! He was a highly intelligent and studious learner who studied hard becoming an expert in his job – he took his duties, responsibilities, and security clearance very seriously. He was an asset to all who knew and worked with him.
Everyone who knew JJ well also knew that he had diverse interests including his love of music and lifestyle. From the moment he heard the music of the Ramones he was hooked as a fan. The same could be said about the band Misfits who greatly inspired his style of music. JJ absolutely loved getting together with his bandmates, rehearsing at his house, and recording their music in local studios and his home. The friends he made through the love of music and the community he touched in this genre were dear to him. In addition to playing gigs in Las Vegas he and his bandmates also played in the states of Arizona and California.
JJ taught himself how to work on his 1951 Harley Davidson Pan Head motorcycle given to him by his Uncle Nicky who he also admired greatly. He loved taking it on the open road in northern New Mexico where we would stay during the long Labor Day weekends in September. It was a special family get-together which we shared at the end of the summer for the past 20 years. Christmas back in Albuquerque and Santa Fe was a holiday he never missed. This was the one time during the year that JJ would see all of his aunts, uncles, cousins, other family, and friends. He gave generously to his family and loved all the great New Mexico chili (red and green) that was abundantly available. He would often bring storage containers to family dinners and always take leftovers like tamales, pasole, and carne adovada back to Las Vegas. He also never missed a trip to one of his favorite local shops in Albuquerque called Astro Zombies. He loved taking his nephew and niece along to share in the experience of the store and buy some goodies and collectables to take home.
JJ also loved very dearly his two cats Georgie and Grandpa. Grandpa was a stray hanging around his yard that he rescued. He really enjoyed spoiling them and, in turn, they brought him great comfort and happiness at home.
In June 2019, the entire Dantis-Waller family traveled to Crete, Greece where we stayed in a beautiful seaside villa and reconnected with the Greek side of our family. Everyone loved the beautiful beaches, snorkeling, delicious foods, historical sites, visiting with our Greek cousins, and being together making wonderful memories as a family in a very special place to us. This was JJ’s third trip to Crete. His grandfather, Nikos, immigrated to America around 1910 where he passed through Ellis Island and ended up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This recent and very special family trip will always be etched in our minds and memories - especially given the present circumstances.
JJ inspired and touched many lives in so many positive ways over the course of his accomplished life. We know the heartbreaking pain we feel as a family extends to the many friends, co-workers, and musicians whom he cared very much for. Thank you JJ for your love and life – you will forever live in our hearts!
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