Emmy-winning star of the daytime soap opera ‘Days of Our Lives’ and father of Jennifer Aniston, John Aniston, has died at age 89.
In a tribute posted to Instagram on Monday morning, Jennifer announced that he had passed on Friday, Veteran’s Day.
“Sweet papa… John Anthony Aniston. You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace – and without pain,” she wrote.
John was born Yannis Anastassakis in Crete, Greece, and emigrated with his family to Pennsylvania when he was a child.
He was a theatre major at Pennsylvania State University and before beginning his professional acting career in the 1960s, John served in the US Navy.
With early break-out roles on the small screen in ‘Combat!’, ‘I Spy’ and ‘The Virginian,’ his acting credits went on to include ‘Search for Tomorrow,’ as well as ‘The Gilmore Girls’.
John was most known for his long-running role on ‘Days of Our Lives’ where he played family patriarch Victor Kiriakis, the former drug lord who goes on to found the powerful Titan Industries.
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