Posted by Tru Dee Bamberg on June 4, 2010:

John George Kamaras USMA, Class of 1946 John George Kamaras died at 1:20pm on Saturday, November 14th in the Hilton Head Regional Hospital after experiencing a massive stroke. John is survived by his wife of 59 years, Joanne Hunt Kamaras, his son, George Lewis Kamaras, his daughter Tru Dee Jo Bamberg and his three grandsons; John Lewis Kamaras, Hunter Carl Bamberg and Austin John Bamberg. His sister Elsie Hassapopolis resides in Minnesota. Born in Waterloo Iowa to Demitra and George Kamaras in 1925, John attended school locally and graduated from East Waterloo High School. While in High School, John participated in the WWII Junior Flight Program which led to his appointment and graduation in 1946 from the United States Military Academy at West Pointe, NY. Early in his career, John was stationed in Alaska. Upon his return to the lower 48's in 1950, he met his beloved wife Joanne in Seattle, Washington and they were married six weeks later in the Methodist Church in Irvington, Indiana. John loved to tease JoAnne that he married her so quickly because she was the first woman he�d met in over a year "that didn�t smell of whale blubber" but all who knew John understood the depth of his love and total devotion to "Josie". They spent their first year of married life at Ohio State University until he earned his MBA in 1951. John served his country for over 21 years and during that time, attended numerous schools and programs including the Language School in Monterey California, the Transportation School in Ft. Eustace, VA and the Army Navy War College. As a first generation American, John�s native tongue was Greek. However, prior to his assignment in Greece in the mid 1950�s, John was sent to language school to learn "the 'real� language of the docks". John�s favorite story from Greece involved the local citizens "borrowing" electricity from the designated American housing units. One evening John cut the power to his home and the entire neighborhood experienced a total black out. Needless to say, electric lines were inspected and corrected the next day. Upon his stateside return, John spent a great deal of time at various stations, continuing to fly helicopters on the weekend to log his flight hours. We loved to hear his amusing stories about his abilities or lack thereof and the efforts of his squadrons to mask his inadequacies. As most of you might recall, the least favorite month of the year was January when some pilots would have to rigorously diet to meet their flight physical at month end. It was an annual ritual in the Kamaras household and the entire family participated in this effort whether or not it was warranted. In 1964, John was stationed to the Pentagon and then deployed to Vietnam in 1967. During this tour of duty, John was awarded the bronze star. John returned safely home to enjoy a second career at Sikorsky aircraft in Connecticut where he was the designer and program manager for both the Super Stallion and Black Hawk Helicopters. He and Joanne became avid golfers and were members of Grassy Hill Country Club and then Racebrook Country Club in Connecticut. John ultimately retired in 1987 and he and Joanne moved south to Hilton Head Island to enjoy the warm weather and perfect their golf games at Bear Creek Golf Club. Throughout his life, John continued to develop new friendships while treasuring his old ones. He will always be remembered for his love of jokes, his genuine interest in every person he met and his ability to light up a room with his smile. His love for his family was boundless and it showed through his wise counsel, patience and enduring good spirits. An eternal optimist, John wishes all of you "Just Enough". I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye." I miss you Dad.

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