John Roussos, 81

On Friday, Oct. 10, 2014, John Christ Roussos passed away after a long, well-lived life, complicated by diabetes.

John was born to Christ and Johanna Roussos Dec. 20, 1932, as one of 16 children, eight of whom survived childhood. John's parents were hardworking immigrants who were as grateful to be living in the United States as they were proud of the old country. John grew up carrying that balance of pride in his Greek heritage and gratitude for an able mind, body, and opportunities to work. He played high school football in his hometown of New Castle, Pa., where he was the Greek kid taking homemade fried-pepper sandwiches to school. His achievements on the field eventually earned him induction into the Lawrence County (Pa.) Historical Society Sports Hall of Fame.

John enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as the radio operator for the 105th Howitzer Division in Korea, fighting alongside them in freezing weather at the Chosin Reservoir. John respected the U.S. Marine Corps his whole life, and was equally as proud of his wife Beverly's service in the Corps as of his own.

John and Bev met when he and a group of buddies were recovering after having tonsillectomies. Bev's friend talked a group of gals into grabbing an ice cream each to deliver to one of the recovering patients. Bev's delivery to John began their romance and subsequent marriage which lasted 55 years until Bev's death in 2009. They welcomed their daughter, Greta Anna, into the world in 1954.

John was baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church, and had a quiet personal faith that manifested itself in his generosity to others - it was hard to leave his home without a delicious home-cooked meal and an ear-to-ear smile. If he knew a friend or acquaintance had fallen on hard times, he'd restore their wallet and pride with opportunities for well-paid work.

John was an athlete who played football for four years on scholarship at the University of Idaho, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in teaching and coaching. He remained a loyal and proud Vandal for the rest of his life. John and Bev both taught and coached at Coeur d'Alene High School. Teaching agreed with them, and they spent happy summers enjoying Lake Coeur d'Alene and especially Arrow Point, where John loved to socialize and tended bar many a summer.

Having tasted adventure, independence, and military camaraderie in the Marines, John and Bev signed up for Department of Defense teaching positions at U.S. military bases abroad in 1965, and for the next 27 years they served their country in this capacity. They served in Newfoundland, Canada; Spain; Germany; and Okinawa, Japan. The travel required for John's coaching plus generous vacation time and close proximity to so many countries meant he and Bev began to enjoy their "retirement traveling" before they'd even reached middle age. While living and working in Kaiserslaughtern, Germany, they began the happy tradition of Christmas in Austria - always kicked off with a birthday party for John.

Retiring from years of teaching in places and for people they loved might have been difficult were it not for the beautiful place to which they returned: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, doorway to the Northwest wilderness that called to John. They began their happy actual retirement in 1992 using the home they'd purchased and rented out all those years as a home base for frequent state-side travels and fly-fishing trips.

John's greatest joy was his family, both his extended family that visited or welcomed him for lengthy stays, and his own daughter, granddaughters and great-grandchildren.

John is survived by his daughter, Greta Anna Cosby and her husband Dr. Glen Cosby of Spokane, Wash., who lovingly cared for John at their home for most of the final year of his life and up to the time of his death; granddaughter Lauren McMurray of Moscow, Idaho, her husband Phil and their five children Bryce, Deacon John, Kyle, Sean, and Caroline; granddaughter Adrien Pocklington and her spouse, Bart Setter of Rocklin, Calif., and their four children Daniel, Roman, Avery, and Maya; sister Anna Taylor of Brunswick, Ga., as well as numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom held a special place in his heart and memory.

Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Friday evening, Oct. 17, at the Yates Funeral Home, Coeur d'Alene Chapel. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, also at the Yates Funeral Home, Coeur d'Alene Chapel, with burial following at Coeur d'Alene Memorial Gardens.

You may visit John's memorial and sign his online guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.