Obituary of Samuel Joseph Kounnas

Samuel Joseph Kounnas went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Thursday, May 1, 2025. He was 97 years old.

He is predeceased in death by his beloved wife of 71 years, Mary Murtaugh Kounnas, his parents Savas and Ruby Kounnas, his brothers James and Philip, and his sisters Jean, Silvia, Helen, and Mary. Joe is survived by his 3 daughters - Lynn Giambri (Philip), Charlotte Kline (Chuck), and Sandy Freeman; his six grandchildren – Veronica Torres (Javier), Rachael Teal (Greg), Leah Irwin (Tim), Jennifer Carmean (Brad),   Brad Freeman, and Mary-Joy Francis (Derrick); and his twelve great-grandchildren – Nicholas, Lucas (Julia), Jonah, Paige, Cyrus, Jameson, Isaiah, Brooklyn, Francisco, Leo, Dorian and Daylynn. He will be forever remembered and deeply missed by his family and friends.

Joe was born on October 28, 1927, grew up in Crum Lynne, and was a long-time resident of Upper Chichester. As a young man, Joe attended Ridley High School and served in the United States Army. He met, and fell in love with his wife, Mary, when he was just 18 years old, and she was a senior in high school. It was during a short leave from the army that they first met at a skating rink where they were introduced and began dating; they were married four years later, in January of 1951.

Throughout his life Joe was employed as a skilled mechanic and always loved working on cars. He began his career working as an auto mechanic in gas stations and Chevrolet dealerships in the Delaware County area. He worked for many years as the head mechanic for Abbotts Dairy, ensuring the maintenance and safety of milk trucks and drivers on the road for daily house to house delivery. He later worked as chief mechanic for BP Oil Company keeping equipment operational and safe for use throughout the refinery. After retirement Joe enjoyed driving a school bus for the Penn Delco School District, the ACTS Retirement Community, and the Rocky Run YMCA.

His joy and greatest blessings were his family and friends, and his personal relationship with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great- grandfather to those of us who loved him most. 

We will miss his many stories and his care and love for all of us, expressed in so many ways throughout our lives.

Joe was a long-time member of Marcus Hook Baptist Church, where he enjoyed using his talents and skills as a mechanic and his love for sharing the Gospel of Christ with those he met. He was involved in the bus and visitation ministries and taught Sunday School to young people for many years. He has recently attended Ogden Baptist Church.

Funeral services for Joe will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 9, 2025, at Pagano Funeral Home, 3711 Foulk Road, Garnet Valley, PA. Visitation for family and friends will be held prior to the service from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be at the Chester Rural Cemetery in Upland PA.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to: Ogden Baptist Church – Ogden, PA  Word of Life Fellowship – Schroon Lake, New York. Online condolences may be made at www.paganofuneralhome.com.

The funeral services on Friday will be livestreamed starting at 11:00 AM and can be viewed by CLICKING HERE or viewing the video that will appear below.