John Dimos, 60 of Valparaiso, passed away Thursday, July 6th, 2023. He was born October 1st, 1962, in Gary, IN to John and Marianne (Fosse) Dimos. John graduated from Merrillville High School, received his bachelor’s degree from Wabash College, earned his master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati, and pursued his PhD at the University of Illinois Chicago. John proudly made his career as a self-employed Certified Industrial Hygienist for over 30 years. In recent years, he was committed to focusing on industry education and worker training. John was certified by OSHA and had membership with the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.
John was a lover of all the arts and a music aficionado. When he wasn’t at work, John loved playing the drums, attending concerts, and experiencing music of all genres. Being a constant learner, he was an asset to any trivia team. He was an animal lover who frequently checked in on the family dogs, often requesting to be supplied with new pictures and updates on their well-being. John never met an animal he didn’t love, including the deer, fox, and wild turkeys that visited his home. He even became fond of the pesky groundhog in his yard.
The generous, kind hearted, and thoughtful person that John was carried across all aspects of his life. He would often go out of his way to do something special and meaningful for you, without any expectations in return. It’s just who John was. He was always thinking of others. As a son, brother, uncle, friend, and colleague, you could find no one better than John.
John is survived by his brother, Chris (Theresa) Dimos; sister-in-law, Kathy Dimos; nieces and nephews: Stephanie (Sam Brown) Dimos, Jennifer Dimos, Jonathan Dimos, Drew (Rebecca Stanley) Dimos, and Trace Dimos; along with many extended family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, John & Marianne, and brother, Jim Dimos.
A visitation will be held Sunday, July 16th, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Moeller Funeral Home, 104 Roosevelt Road, Valparaiso, IN. The funeral service will be held Monday, July 17th at 12:15 p.m. at the funeral home, with an additional visitation beginning at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Ridgelawn Cemetery in Gary, IN. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Lyric Opera, Wabash College, or an animal charity of the donor’s choice. Click here to watch the recorded funeral service and video tribute.
GUESTBOOK
We have such great memories of Jon and growing up with the entire Dimos family. Jon was special, so smart, kind, and genuine. He was the godfather to our son Steven and they developed a special bond through the years. Jon became Stevens sounding board during his high school and college years. Jon was a fantastic friend, god parent and part of our family. We will miss him tremendously. -Steven Cone, Christine Kefalas Cone and Stanley Cone
I had the Honor along with Paul Dzorovcik of playing with John in a power trio called "Dan-o and the management." while at Wabash College. He was a fantastic drummer and a joy with which to play music . I also was at the Delt house and he was my brother. The music world and Delt world are a lot less joyful without him. My condolences and prayers extend to the Dimos family in this time of need. -Rob Hepler Wabash Delt '82
John was the best man at our wedding and I loved him immediately. He was one of my husband's (Chris Grubach) most treasured friends. -Violeta Fuduric
John was both a colleague and a friend. Professionally he was erudite yet conversational; Socratic yet accessible. Loved discussing music, current affairs, progressive politics and virtually anything else that John had a vast knowledge and understanding of with him. Always generous with his time and wisdom. Devastated by his passing. The world is a far safer place because of his efforts which will be his immortal legacy. -Jim Sredzinski
My deepest condolences to the DIMOS family. The entire Dimos family were part of our extended family for 40+ years. John, Jimmy and Chris grew up with my two girls and I have fond memories of our travels and family vacations. We will miss you John. -Helen Kefala
My condolences to John's family. I worked with John and would hire him as a professional resource and problem solver. John was THE BEST CIH in the country. He was always willing to help and would answer his phone anytime of the day. He set the standard in the safety profession and will be greatly missed. -OBrien Mills
I only met John once at his brother’s (Chris) wedding. Like all of the amazing Dimos family he was a gem! Blessings to Chris & his family with the loss of John. -Roger & Becky Howe
I'll never have a better instructor than John. He had a unique style to his teaching and facilitating every course he taught. My goal was to return to the CSC this winter and take an OSHA course just so I could be in another of John's classes. I know John is in heaven teaching God about safety. My condolences to the family. -Johnathan Brock
My thoughts and prayers are with you on the loss of John. He was such an incredibly sweet, intelligent and caring person. I worked at CCSC years ago and it was a pleasure to know him. For his family, loved ones and friends my give my deepest sympathies. God be with you all. -Detria B Walker
I want to express my sincere sympathy at the loss of John. I knew him, not as well as others, but was impacted by his knowledge and dedication to providing important information and perspective on safety. Most of all I was impressed by his gentle and meaningful personality. He will be missed by all who he touched in this life. -Don Dixon
When I transitioned from being a retired Indianapolis Firefighter to the Occupational Safety & Health career path, John was one of the frequent instructors at the Chicagoland Construction Safety Council. After just taking a few courses, I regarded John to be an exceptionally well-spoken and extremely knowledgeable professional. Above all, John had a passion for his chosen profession in Safety & Health. When we were on break, John and I would talk about F1 racing and our shared interest in music. I always looked forward to another class with John. Thank you John. May you rest easy now knowing that You made the World a better place. -Ian Marano
So sorry to hear of this news. My husband and I knew John from MHS and Wabash college. He was a great, fun loving guy. Taken way too soon. -David and Susan Woodward
I want to offer my sincerest condolences to John's family on his sudden passing. John and I go back many years in safety, especially through the Construction Safety Council. I was lucky to have John as my instructor for many of my OSHA classes. I always came away from each class with gained knowledge!!! John was a colleague but more than that ...he was a friend you could count on! He helped me many times in successfully dealing with some safety/health issue! He will be missed! Godspeed John. -Andy Youpel
It is with great sadness that we learned of John's passing. He was a great man. He gave everything he had to helping the next generation of safety professionals. John will be fondly remembered as a gentleman and a scholar. He was a warm, caring and passionate man with extraordinary talent, knowledge and understanding. He was a giant of the safety profession the likes of which are rarely seen today. My deepest condolences to John's family. He will remain in our thoughts and prayers. -Michael Serpe, CSP
My heart goes out to John's family at this very difficult time. I am so sad...my heart hurts for the loss of this amazing human being. John was the cousin of my partner, Don Fosse. We both have precious memories of times spent with him in Chicago and in California. There are no adequate words to describe John other than "one of a kind"....the sweetest person ever!! Such a bright light in this world and just knowing John was an honor. Some of my fondest memories ....when Don and I would visit Chicago, John would bring his mom to the city and we all would enjoy lovely meals together. We talked and laughed and shared such dear moments in our lives. Rest in Peace dear friend...you will be missed. You have touched our hearts deeply. -Sandy Weissel
My heartfelt condolences to all of you. John was an amazing man and an exceptional instructor. I’ve had the pleasure of attending classes at CSC with John as my instructor. He was an awesome and thorough instructor and I felt knowledgeable in all areas of safety after completion. I could call John and ask him anything. He would always give me great information and say” Taneen, you can call me anytime” . I am especially saddened by this news because I had plans to call John in the coming weeks as I am scheduled to teach my first OSHA 30 class in the coming weeks. Who am I gonna call now? My heart is broken but I know that he is at peace and flying high with his dog who he always spoke so affectionately of. Rest Peacefully John. You will certainly be missed. Wow, I’m heartbroken, -Taneen Ball
I knew John from our years together at Merrillville High School. I was one year his senior. We were friends and band mates, both in the MHS band and in a rock band that rehearsed in his parents basement in Merrillville on the weekends. The first time I plugged an electric guitar into an amplifier, turned it up as loud as it would go and played in a band was with John on drums. I’ll never forget it. Later, we played live during a talent review on the MHS auditorium stage and that experience changed the lives of all four of us in the band! John’s parents, older brother Jim, and younger brother Chris were always friendly and welcoming despite our invasion of their home and privacy with our sonic teenage rebellion. We lost touch in later years, but I would always hear stories from others about where he was, and what he was doing. One story, which happened in 2012 is legendary. I don’t know the details, but apparently John was a diehard Todd Rungren fan who knew most every song Rundgren ever played inside and out. John went to see Todd play live that year, and somehow, by some brilliant twist of fate, volunteered his services when he learned the band’s drummer would not be able to perform that night. Rundgren agreed, and the rest is history. With no rehearsal and no set list, John nailed it. RIP amigo. -Alex Christoff
I went to MHS with John and he was the drummer in my teenage band. We played the typical parties and a dance or two. I didn’t appreciate at the time what a talent he was, perhaps there was some bonus rhythm gene by way of his uncle Bob. We would practice in his basement, I have fond memories of the whole family. Rest easy, friend. -Gabino Saavedra
My sincerest condolences on the passing of John. He was an amazing instructor and touched the lives of many safety professionals through his training. I am thankful to have known him, very briefly. I the short time I knew him I did learn about his love for music and animals. -Alyce Engle
John truly will be missed. He was such a smart and analytical talent with a great passion for passing along his knowledge. He was a terrific resource for all of the Risk and Education instructors at NRCA who actually enjoyed the prospect of sitting through days of classes with him to renew our OSHA authorizations! Condolences to his family and rest assured that John will be fondly remembered by so many people in the health and safety field who had the honor to spend time with him. -Harry Dietz
John was always the teacher. I would always discuss teaching strategies often. I remember when he started talking about microaggressions. He was the first in that area. His knowledge of industrial hygiene was superb. I used him as a teach for silica, lead, and solvents. His passion was music, I saw him at Lollapalooza, Deftones, King Crimson, and other concerts. He will be missed. -John Newquist
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Dimos family. I knew John through the Construction Safety Council. I attended many safety sessions that he was the instructor in. I always looked forward to attending his classes. He was so knowledgeable a true professional one of the best, he would always be there for you if you had questions. He will be missed. -Anthony Sage
My most sincere condolences on your loss. John was a blessing and an inspiration to his students. I knew him for almost 10 years from the construction safety council and the OSHA classes he taught John was the instructor I choose to emulate, he will always be remembered. -Anonymous
I met John when we were in junior high school. We began playing music together a bit later after I started playing guitar. I was so lucky to be in my first band with someone so talented and advanced. He was a great guy above all. I am grateful to have known him. You are missed. -Robert Daniel
John was an amazing instructor who worked tirelessly to instill his wealth of knowledge about safety and industrial hygiene on everyone who had the pleasure of taking one of John's classes. Those who had the pleasure of working with him professionally always knew they had an amazing hygienist on call for any of their needs. John will certainly be missed in the industrial and construction safety communities, and his loss is one that will be impossible to replace. My condolences to John's family in this difficult time. Please find happiness knowing that John invested his life's work into ensuring the safety of the American worker, and his legacy will live on for many years to come. -Steve Lindley
My condolences to the Dimos family. I had the pleasure of working with John over the past 20 years through the Construction Safety Council. John touched many lives with his wisdom and knowledge. He will be greatly missed. Rest in peace my friend. -Renee Medlin
My deepest condolences to the entire Dimos family. John was a tremendous conversationalist and a great Delt brother . -Joe Huffer Wabash ‘84
John was a such a great guy, colleague and friend. We spent time together back in UIC days and crossed paths many times through the years at IH conferences and professionally. He always would have a great smile and something positive to say about life. He will be missed for sure. Rest in Peace old friend. -Eric Turnquest
John was a truly wonderful human being. We are blessed to have had him in our lives and when we think back over the years, he evokes many fond memories. Kevin recalls two, in particular, that come to his mind. At the 1991 Salt Lake City IH conference, John, me, and Mandy (a friend) drove up to Snowbird Ski Resort. It was late May, with temperatures over 80 degrees in the city, but Snowbird had snow and skiing. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity and stood in front of the ski lodge in shorts, t-shirts, and tennis shoes throwing snowballs. The second cherished memory is my 50th birthday present from my wife, Kathy. John and I met at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. We took 3 days to see the museum, were surprised by an impromptu concert by Graham Nash in the museum foyer, and watched a ripping night time lightning storm over Lake Erie from our hotel room windows. Rather than write a book about all of our memories of John, we decided to simply list a few of them: in-depth intellectual discussions, across a huge array of topics, that lasted until the wee hours; his knowledge, tolerance, and compassion; his spontaneity; his love of wildlife; his love of music and actually getting us to appreciate opera; his ponytail and those black cowboy boots with the silver metal toes; smoking Cuban cigars; his wonderful sense of humor and a laugh that could fill your soul. We were extremely fortunate to have had a 2-hour video call with John a several days before he passed. As expected, we talked about all sorts of subjects. At the end of the call, we were all cracking up and John was laughing his ass off. That is the image we will always retain of him. Rest in peace our dear, dear friend. Love always, -Kevin and Kathy Landkrohn
I am truly saddened by the passing of John. He was a special person in my life and was someone who always went above and beyond to be there for those he loved. I regret not having more frequent conversations with him and not being able to spend more time together. I will always cherish how John came to my wedding, driving all the way from Indiana to California. In times as they are with such polarity and anger in the world, losing someone like John leaves a significant void. People like him, who embody kindness and generosity, are truly rare and they have the power to make a positive impact on those around them. John will be missed, but his legacy will live on through the memories and experiences shared with him. His impact on my life will never be forgotten. I plan to honor and remember John's impact on my life by carrying on his values and teachings. I will strive to be a source of support and kindness to others, just as he was to me. I will also cherish the memories and experiences shared with him and share them with others to keep his memory alive. A donation of $200 to ASPCA was given in John’s name. -Jacqueline Robertson
I am still struggling with the fact that I will never have the chance to give John a hug in this lifetime. Your brother had the kindest heart I have ever felt from another human being. He accepted ANYONE whole-heartedly WITHOUT judgement of ANY kind. I am so incredibly grateful to have met him and been loved by him. His love was absolutely all-encompassing and never wavered. Any person who knew John was blessed by his presence. He is greatly missed. I love you John, - Natasha Thompson
