Vale: John 'Chopper' Katsanis - Australia

It is with much sadness and regret that I type this.

At around 11:15 today John Katsanis lost his battle with Cancer and slipped peacfully away, to be with his beloved soul mate Tina.

Chopper fought the mongrel disease to his last breath and was looking forward to The Rumble in a couple of weeks.

There's so much I want to say about John, but right now I'm a little stuck for words and there's much needs to be done to help the boys close out his time with us. Suffice to say John was a great and loyal friend. A man who lived the hot rodding life with a passion that was sometimes beyond comprehension, a man who just wanted everybody else to appreciate and enjoy the same things he loved and thus a man who worked tirelessly to try and achive that.

The hot rodding community will not be the same without him as he has had a profound effect on many of our lives even if we don't know it.

Condolences to Dean, Luke, Tom and Damon.

 

On Behalf of the "Road Knights HRCC" Adelaide/Oildale

Please accept our sincerest Sympathy to Johns family and friends.

Many of our members have dealt with John and attended the Picnic over the years, he will be sorely missed.

R.I.P John.

 

sorry to hear this. i never personally had the pleasure of meeting john but by all accounts he was a top bloke. RIP

 

Deepest sympathies.

Midnighters Phx send regards to all touched by this.


As long as someone keeps his memory he will live on.


jeerry

 

Oh, man. Rest in peace John, with Tina.

 

R.I.P. John

This is a sad day indeed, we have lost another great.... and I'm lost for words.

To Dean, Luke, Tom and Damon, my heartfelt condolonces...

 

R.I.P.

God Bless!

 

Rip

 

R.I.P John, meet him at the Picnic years back..... god speed.

 

This is a sad day for sure.

It was John that introduced me to kustomizing many years ago. His passion and craftsmanship was 2nd to none.
I am grateful not only for his advice through the years but everything he did for hot rods and kustoms in Australia.

It was an honor to have met him and he will be missed by many.

My sympathies to the boys out at Berwick.

 

RIP John condolences to the boys let us know if we can help at all.
From all the Family.

 

RIP Chopper

 

My condolences - Godspeed.

Steve

 

RIP John.A true believer and dedicated hard worker in the custom scene.

I did the Picnic 4 times and it was always great fun.Hopefully it and the Kustom Nationals can continue.

 

Such sad news. RIP Chopper.

 

Its with much sadness that i read this today, Carps.
From the little you told me the other day, i thought it was bad, as these things are.
My sincere condolances to Johns family, friends, and those who knew and respected his work.

 

RIP John A great Icon of the Australian hot rod and custom hobby,you will be missed

 

Sad news. He was a great guy.

 

RIP Chopper

 

RIP on behalf of The Cranksters rod & custom club in Perth.

Our depest sympathy as a lot of us had met both him and his boys.

 

Man thats sad news today ,So Long Old Mate

Heavens got another True Hotrodder

GodSpeed

 

Extremly sad news for the Rodding and Custom movement in Australia
I have never been able to attend one of Johns events but over the years we spoke on the phone or caught up at Wintersun when we both attended
The mans passion for customs and wanting to share it with all he met will be greatly missed.
I only hope the events he and Tina worked so hard to establish continue on as a tribute to both of them.

My condolances to his family

 

RIP John.
-Ryan

 

to Johns extended family and to all the boys, my prayers and sympathies.
He's now with his loving wife Tina.
Tony and Amanda Gatani.

 

RIP John, I'm so glad I got the chance to meet you

 

To Carps and others South of the Equator. I only knew the guy through ya'll, he will be missed, sounds like we could have shared a pint and enjoyed it all/.................

 

I met John/Chopper many years ago when I was just a young bloke as he hailed from my backyard in Melbourne's South Eastern suburbs.

I vividly remember his show stopping flaked 58 Star Model Customline in the early 1980s - the kinda car that got me hooked on these cars/scene/lifestyle.

He was the man who in many ways inspired me to build myself a Flathead powered hot rod, and after work when I could I would drop by his shop and even though he was busy, he would always take the time to talk to me and share his ideas, flathead knowledge and update me on what he was working on in the shop.

John, you opened your shop to me, your home, your family and my eyes to the world of hot rods and Kustom kars. You were always a true gentleman, and I am forever grateful I knew you and for what you have contributed to our lifestyle/scene here in Australia.

You were a true believer. My thoughts and prayers go out to the boys Dean, Luke Tom and Damon, all extended Family and all his friends at this difficult time.

Xekourasou irema Yianni.

RIP

 

Thanks for everything you did for our scene, and for being a great generous guy.

R.I.P and GODSPEED, with Tina finally.

Thoughts with the boys.

Maiki

 

Sad news,another really good bloke gone.RIP.

 

........sad to read this

had a lot of good dealings with Tina and John in early days

R.I.P