John W. Koutrobis, 69 
John W. Koutrobis died with his wife by his side on March 13. He was 69.
John was the son of Christos and Pota Koutrobis, of Lowell, a city where he spent his childhood exploring the neighborhoods where he lived, on Butterfield and Draper streets, and loved to reminisce about his adventures growing up. 
After graduating from high school, he spent his college years in Athens, Greece, attending Deree College and serving as an Air Force reservist at the U.S. Air Force Base in Athens.  
John later obtained his master’s degree in teaching, making a significant impact on countless students he taught during his 34-year career with the Boston public school system – at West Roxbury High School, Mattahunt Elementary School (Mattapan), Kenney Elementary School (Dorchester), and Condon Elementary School (South Boston). He taught students in the Greek bilingual program and third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade special education program.
John’s love for teaching didn’t end in the classroom. During his summers off as a teacher, he owned and operated Joseph’s Pizzeria on Nantasket Beach in Hull. He ran Joseph’s for 38 years before retiring in 2019. He spent every single day of the summer running the restaurant, constantly looking to improve the business and make customers happy. He treated all his employees as if they were his students, always teaching, encouraging, and helping them succeed.  
For anyone who met John, he always left a lasting impression with his charismatic personality and ability to overcome all barriers despite having multiple sclerosis. Though he was diagnosed at the age of 30, he never allowed the illness to stop him from traveling the world with his family, becoming a successful businessman, and taking full advantage of all that life offered him.
He will be greatly missed by the family he helped raise with his loving and dedicated wife, Sofia (formerly Drougas), in Norwell: his daughter, Panagiota, and husband, Antonios Athinelis, of Medford; his daughter, Katerina, and her husband, Justin DiCristofalo, of Quincy; his daughter, Christina, and her husband, Michael Regan, of Duxbury; and his son, Christos, and girlfriend, Kerry, of Boston. He is also survived by his grandson, John, his pride and joy; his mother, Pota; his sister, Valerie Murphy, and her husband, Terry, and nieces, of Chelmsford; his brother-in-law, Ernie Drougas, and nephews, of Bourne; and many koumparoi, cousins and dear friends.
Though there will be no public services, John’s family asks that you make a donation in his name to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at https://mssociety.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.personalCampaign&participantID=35211.  
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Blake Chelmsford Funeral Home, 24 Worthen St., Chelmsford. For online guestbook, visit CHELMSFORDFUNERALHOME.COM.