Following the loss of the Gloucester-based fishing vessel Lily Jean, families of those onboard are grieving and hoping for the return of their loved ones. Keri Rousanidis, the sister of John Paul Rousanidis, a Peabody resident and crew member of the Lily Jean, reflected on her loss.
“He was a piece of our heart and soul, so that got taken away. We’re all very, very devastated,” she said.
John Paul Rousanidis is survived by four sisters: Paula Rousanidis, Keri Rousanidis, Irene Rousanidis, and Lisa Russo; two brothers: Michael Brown and Paulo Rousanidis; his uncle Michael Zolatas; and his mother, Ann Rousanidis, formerly Ann Zolatas.
John Paul Rousanidis was born in Salem on March 26, 1992, and was raised in Peabody until he was about 8. He spent the rest of his childhood and young adulthood growing up in Crete, Greece, before returning to Massachusetts. Keri Rousanidis said their time in Greece definitely ignited their love for the water.
“He wouldn’t get out of the water,” she said. “We lived on the sea… Our house was like a minute away, so he was always in the water. He’d never get out of the water.”
John Paul Rousanidis had been professionally on the water for more than a year and a half. His sister noted that he even traveled to Alaska for their fishing season, but most recently, he was fishing in Massachusetts. She added that he “took his job very seriously.”
Keri Rousanidis said that her family and the other families who had loved ones on the Lily Jean are still waiting for their bodies to be found.
“Tuesday, they’re supposed to dive and hopefully find him in the cabins still,” she said.
She wanted to relay “a message to all the families that we hope they find peace, and they find the bodies, and we can all put them to rest.”
Keri Rousanidis spoke highly of her brother, illuminating his strong character.
“He was a kind, loving person,” Keri Rousanidis said. “He would take the shirt off his back to help you. He loved the water as a kid. He felt the water was very peaceful. Anything to do with the outdoors, he loved doing it. That was John.”
She continued, “He was very outgoing. He had sympathy for others. He would give you his last plate of food. That was who he was. He never judged anybody. He always tried to help people. He always tried to understand people, their point of view, and help them as much as he could, even listen to them. He always had a smile on his face.”
The Rousanidis-Zolotas family has created a GoFundMe; Keri Rousanidis pointed out that her brother was the “head of household” for their disabled mom, so donations will go toward both the funeral arrangements as well as other bills.
