Theodore “Ted” Ntanos June 30, 1939 – January 18, 2026
Visitation Friday, January 23rd, from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. with the Trisagion service at 6:00 p.m. at Thornridge Funeral Home 14318 S. LaGrange Road, Orland Park. Family and friends are asked to meet Saturday, January 24th, at 9:45 a.m. at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 11025 South Roberts Road, Palos Hills for a 10:00 a.m. funeral service. Interment will be found at Good Shepherd Cemetery, located at 16201 S. 104th Ave, Orland Park.
In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations to Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church.
For information please call,or text Michael Orrico @815/260-0668
Theodore (Ted) Pericles Ntanos of Orland Park, age 86 died on January 18, 2026. Beloved husband of Maria, nee Zaharopoulos for 60 years. Loving father to Constantina (Tina) Ntanos, Fay (Douglas) West and Athena (late Justin) Toshack; beloved grandfather to Mary, Magdalena (Maggie), Michael, and Jack. Cherished son of Pericles and Konstantina Ntanos and beloved son-in-law of George and Fotini Zaharopoulos. Dear brother of Tassia (late George) Malliaras, late Louis (late Penelope), late Gus (late Theodora), late Peter (late Anna), late Agis (late Christine), and late John (late Vasso); proud and doting uncle of many nieces and nephews and a good friend to many. May his memory be eternal.
Ted was born in Athineon, Greece on either June 28, June 29, or June 30 of 1939. The world didn’t realize it at the time, but his personality would be big enough that it really did take three days to celebrate him, and that was the way he liked it. He never minded reminding his family of this fact, often with his characteristic sly smile.
Ted remained in Greece until his family began their journey to America. He left his birthplace at the age of 14, carrying with him a work ethic, resilience, and spirit that would define his life.
Upon arriving in America, Ted began working in a restaurant as a busboy. Though he likely didn’t realize it then, this marked the beginning of his life’s vocation. He and his brothers worked tirelessly. During his brief time at Elmwood Park High School, Ted won the All-City wrestling title in his weight class. He often recalled his coach yelling during the championship match, “Squeeze him, Greek!” That lesson stayed with him—Ted squeezed everything he could out of life.
At age 26, Ted returned to Greece, where he spotted a striking young woman wearing red pants and fell instantly in love. He liked to joke that he was too young and too single to get married, but when he saw Maria, he was finished. Within a month, they were married. Soon after, they began their life together in the Chicagoland area. Three children followed: Tina, Fay, and Athena. He was also greatly honored to welcome his nephew George Zaharopoulos into his home for many years – he loved him as a son. As his immediate family grew, his extended family remained close. Life was not always easy, but through every challenge, Ted persevered and kept his family close.
That perseverance was rooted in remarkable mental toughness and an optimism that was contagious. Ted believed he could do anything, and those who knew him believed it too. By his side and whispering sage advice was Maria, his wonderful wife and his love. And together, they made success happen in the restaurant business.
Ted had an extraordinary capacity for love. He loved his brothers and sister as well as his in-laws, his nieces and nephews, and his wife and children above all. As his daughters married, he welcomed his sons-in-law as his own, treating them as both father and friend. That love found its fullest expression in his grandchildren—Mary, Maggie, Michael, and Jack—whom he adored beyond measure. He never tired of telling their stories or singing their praises.
Ted’s big laugh, big smile, and big heart made him a force of nature. His tremendous physical strength was matched only by his deep tenderness for those he loved. He was so generous that many times he literally gave someone the shirt off his back. He was unique. One of one. If you knew him, he left a lasting imprint on your heart.
Ted was also a great appreciator of the outdoors and all the simple joys that came with it. He was, in many ways, a Greek cowboy at heart. There is a photo at his house in Michigan of him riding a horse through a tree-lined ridge in Montana, and that was quintessential Ted. If you went to the Michigan house, you were definitely spending an evening playing cards with a western movie playing in the background. He loved being in nature: hunting, exploring the vast beauty of the west or snowmobiling through the snow-covered woods of Michigan. He also loved riding his Harley motorcycles with the wind at his back, or playing golf. He took pride in staying strong and active and could often be found working out, pushing himself just as he had his whole life. Beneath that strength was a mischievous sense of humor. Ted loved a good prank, especially if it made his grandchildren laugh. Their delight was his reward, and few things brought him more joy than making them laugh.
Ted passed away on January 18, 2026, a moment where all who loved him would forever be saddened at having lost him, but forever grateful for having been blessed enough to know him. All arrangements entrusted to Orrico Kourelis Funeral Services Inc.