John J. Merianos (1937–2025)
- Oct. 13, 2025
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of John J. Merianos MS’63, PhD’66, a pioneering chemist, inventor, loving father and Pappou.
Born into poverty in war-torn Greece, he was one of five children of Eleni and Demetri Merianos of Krokees, and immigrated to the US as a student in the 1950s with the help of his Uncle Constantine (Dean) to pursue higher education. He arrived in Boston, Massachusetts, with the clothes on his back and a Greek-English dictionary in his pocket. Dr. Merianos was awarded a scholarship to attend the New England College of Pharmacy, now part of Northeastern University, where he graduated valedictorian. He went on to earn his MS and PhD in medicinal chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he became a loyal Badgers football fan.
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