November 14, 2022
Actor John Aniston, the "Days of Our Lives" soap opera star and father of actress Jennifer Aniston, died Friday at 89 years old.
The "Friends" actress, one of Hollywood's most recognizable faces, shared a heartwarming message about her father Monday morning.
"You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew," Aniston wrote of her dad on Instagram. "I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace — and without pain."
A lesser-known fact about the Aniston family is that they briefly resided in Eddystone, Delaware County during Jennifer's childhood in the early 1970s.
John Aniston was born Yiannis Anastasskis on the Greek island of Crete in 1933. His father, Antonios, had traveled back and forth to the United States before the family settled in Chester in the 1930s. There, Antonios and other family members ran Rialto Restaurant, serving Greek cuisine at Ninth and Morton streets. The restaurant later changed hands and continued to operate until the 1960s.
Yiannis changed his name to John Aniston. He attended Penn State University, where he pursued his acting career on the stage. Before delving into his career in television, Aniston served in the U.S. Navy as an intelligence officer stationed in Panama.
Aniston had Jennifer with his first wife, actress Nancy Dow, in 1969 in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles. The family subsequently moved to Eddystone, just outside Chester, where Jennifer spent the early years of her childhood.
Aniston's friends and family recalled those years in interviews with the Daily Mail, where she was remembered as a "sweetheart" who loved cheesesteaks and spending time with her extended family. The family's stint in Eddystone was difficult for John, who was still struggling to find his footing as an actor. The family lived in a three-bedroom home owned by Jennifer's grandmother, Stella Anastasskis.
The Anistons' connection to the property received some local press earlier this year when the home was sold, including a report from Trenton-based radio station 94.5 PST, which shared a number of photos of the interior. The station reported that Aniston, who now lives in Los Angeles, is known to occasionally visit Eddystone.
In 2014, it was rumored that Aniston was considering getting married to ex-husband and actor Justin Theroux at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Media, where Aniston reportedly made a $25,000 donation in memory of her grandmother. The couple ultimately tied the knot at their home in Bel Air in 2015. They divorced in 2018.
Famous Delconian:1979 picture of Jennifer Aniston (far left) when she lived in Eddystone. Rumors are swirling she is planning to get married soon at a church in Media.
Posted by Delco Pride on Monday, December 22, 2014
In the late 1970s, the Aniston family left Eddystone to live in New York as John began to receive steadier employment on daytime shows including "Days of Our Lives," "Love of Life" and "Search for Tomorrow," in which Jennifer made a cameo as an extra as a child.
John Aniston is best-known for playing Greek crime boss Victor Kiriakis on "Days of Our Lives" beginning in 1985 — after a previous role on the show. He remained on the cast for 37 years.
Aniston received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2017 and went on to receive a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.
The cause of Aniston's death was not immediately known.
"I'll love you till the end of time," Jennifer wrote. "Don't forget to visit."
