By Abbe Smith, Register Staff

WEST HAVEN — Long before he walked the halls of West Haven High School as principal, and later as assistant superintendent, a young John Karajanis earned a meager wage shining shoes outside Yale University.

He got five pennies for a shine.

“Those five pennies were like five gold coins,” Karajanis, now 81, recalls. “I said, ‘Someday I’ll be taking classes in there.’”

It might have seemed a lofty goal to an 8-year-old boy with 11 brothers and sisters, but decades later, Karajanis was awarded a National Science Foundation grant to study physics at Yale. It was one of Karajanis’ many accomplishments during his more than four decades with the school district.

On March 5, the district is holding a dedication to honor Karajanis for his 45 years of service. The ceremony will be at 5 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

“John Karajanis has been a friend and a mentor to so many people in the school system,” said Superintendent of Schools Neil Cavallaro. “I don’t know if there is anybody more passionate about West Haven High School than John Karajanis.”

Even now, as he battles cancer, Karajanis strikes an upbeat tone when he talks about his days first as a physics teacher, and then as an administrator in West Haven.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he says.

It was in 1956 that Karajanis got a job at the old high school on Main Street teaching science. Eventually, he became a physics teacher and spent the next decade teaching students the complexities of the physical world. His days in the classroom were the most fulfilling of his career, Karajanis says.

“The kids are the best part of the job,” he says. “When I closed the door to my classroom, I was in heaven.” Continued...

• 1
• 2
• 3
• See Full Story

As a teacher, Karajanis followed his own credo — to teach kids to be independent thinkers, rather than followers. Karajanis also strived to cultivate students who would someday surpass their teacher. He was successful on more than one occasion.

One student of his went on to get a doctorate in physics from Princeton University. Another former student is now a physics teacher at Southern Connecticut State University.

In 1968, Karajanis reluctantly applied for an administrative position at the high school and made the difficult transition from the classroom to an office. But as a policy, Karajanis kept the door to his office wide open for students or teachers who wanted to talk. Eventually, he was named principal of the high school. And he had his three children — Debra, John Jr. and Tony — at the high school while he worked there.

“They all have done exceptionally well with a West Haven High School education,” he says. His daughter, Debra Tortora, is a teacher at Forest Elementary School and is married to former Superintendent of Schools Paul Tortora. His son Tony Karajanis is a lawyer in Hamden. And John Karajanis Jr. is set to take over this week as chief of the Police Department.

In 1986, he was named assistant superintendent of schools, a role he kept for the next 12 years. While Karajanis had many accomplishments over the years, there was one thing he was not very good at: retiring. The first time he tried to retire was in June 1998. But the very next year, the school district called and signed him on as interim principal at the high school. And later, just as he was getting the hang of retirement, the district called him back to serve as interim assistant superintendent.

“I said, ‘Maybe I should stop answering the phone,’” he says.

Karajanis still maintains a deep connection with the school district. He regularly goes out to breakfast with friends who are teachers.

His wife of 57 years, Dorothy Karajanis, said it is about time her husband gets recognized for his dedication.

John Karajanis Jr. remembers how as a young boy he would wander the halls of the high school on the weekends when his dad would bring him to work.

“I know of nobody who is more deserving of the recognition than my dad.” Continued...

• 1
• 2
• 3
• See Full Story

A scholarship fund has been set up in Karajanis’ name. Donations may be sent to the Greater West Haven Federal Credit Union, 502 Main St., West Haven 06516. Checks may be made payable to the John Karajanis Scholarship Fund.

Anyone planning to attend the dedication may call Jill Karajanis at 203-934-0156.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• See Full Story

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• See Full Story

• Return to Paging Mode