MA MA- John H. Hatzopoulas, 20, Worcester, 1 Nov 1990

[Pennysmom1]

Missing Person / NamUs #MP34198

View NamUs missing person case MP34198 for John Hatzopoulas missing from Worcester, Massachusetts. Date of last contact: Nov 01, 1990. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

No photo

Missing Age 20 Years
Current Age 54 Years
First Name John
Middle Name H
Last Name Hatzopoulas
Nickname/Alias Yianni Hatzopoulos
Sex Male
Race / Ethnicity White / Caucasian
Height 6'-0" - 6'-1" (72 - 73 inches) --
Weight 180 - 185 lbs --
Tribe Enrollment/Affiliation--
Associated Tribe(s)--​

Circumstances
Date of Last Contact November 1, 1990
NamUs Case Created June 28, 2016
Last Known Location (Map)
Location Worcester, Massachusetts 01605
County Worcester County
Missing From Tribal Land--
Primary Residence on Tribal Land--

Circumstances of Disappearance
Party left his sister home on 11/1/1990 at 4:30pm and did not show up to work as scheduled. He was not seen since.

Physical Description
Hair Color Brown
Head Hair Description--
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Description--
Left Eye Color Blue
Right Eye Color Blue
Eye Description--

Additional Case Info
Vehicle 1988 Hyundai Excel
Style Sedan
Color Blue
State Massachusetts
Lic. Plate 327SDM
Exp. Year--​

 

[JSolt1210]

For what it's worth, the more common spelling of the last name appears to be "Hatzopoulos" instead of "Hatzopoulas."

Namus includes both spellings so I'm not sure which one John used. I couldn't find anything relevant under either last name so maybe the correct spelling isn't much of a factor here.

An alternative spelling I've come across is "Chatzopoulos." It means "son of a pilgrim" in Greek.

 

[threesevenninefour]

Absolutely nothing out there about this one. I will say, I seem to have found his father’s obituary from 2015 and John is listed as surviving him, but without a location stated for him like the other survivors.

So hard to know where to start looking when there’s virtually no information out there. I see that Namus lists an associated vehicle—was he driving when he left the house that morning?

 

[threesevenninefour]

Also, for what it’s worth, I believe the common spelling with the “o” at the end is how the rest of the family spells their name. I’m wondering if the “a” ending spelling could possibly be an error?

MOO.

 

[Pennysmom1]

I started this thread and used the info that was on NAMUS. I assume they had it correct, especially when
the nickname spelling is listed with an "o" :

Nickname/Alias Yianni Hatzopoulos​

 

[threesevenninefour]

Sorry @Pennysmom1, to clarify— an error on the part of Namus, not you! Certainly they could be correct, I was just mostly thinking out loud because it’s very unique to see that last name spelled like that.

MOO.

 

[JSolt1210]

Yeah I also think the "o" spelling is the correct one. But foreign names often got butchered during the immigration process, and sometimes the family just keeps the mistake. Same goes for birth certificates. I just didn't want to assume, especially since Namus includes both spellings.

 

[annoulzz]

So I'm Greek and people butcher our first and last names all the time. It's definitely Hatzopoulos and John comes from the Greek name, Ioannis, and shortened Greek name, Yiannis/Yianni; though some might spell it as Yanni.

I think I have found his mother's obit from 2011 - Dorothea Hatzopoulos - Obituary - Worcester, MA - O'Connor Brothers Funeral Home | CurrentObituary.com and apparently he was married and his wife's name was Nicole. His mother and father were from a village named Hrisoharafa located outside of Serres (Northern Greece) and about 2 hours outside of Thessaloniki. Looks like the father actually passed away in 2022. Theofilos Hatzopoulos, 86 Obituary - Worcester Telegram & Gazette - The wife Nicole is 50 and still lives in Worchester, MA -- a lot of Greeks from that area are from Thessaloniki and close knit. There is a sister listed for John, as Susan Gergos.