Janina Kazimiera Paul Thanopoulos “Nina”, passed away after a well fought four year battle with cancer in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was 76 years old. Nina was born in Poznan, Poland on March 24th, 1944 to Hieronim and Bozena Paul. She was raised by her mother and beloved step-father, Czeslaw Karcz, by whom she was loved immensely. She left Poland in 1963 to study in Montreal, Quebec Canada. It was there she met and married Xenophon (Fontas) Thanopoulos  on April 28th, 1965 and where they had their first child, Linda. They moved briefly back to Poland and then to San Francisco, California. In January 1969, the couple moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. They welcomed their second child, Daniel, two years later. Nina spent the rest of her life as a Las Vegas local, working as a blackjack dealer at the California Hotel and Casino, before buying and operating the Cue Club Billiard Hall with her husband in the Historic Commercial Center District. They owned the club from 1980 until their divorce in 1987. Nina then purchased and operated the Little Corner Ice Cream store in the Union Plaza Hotel, which she independently ran for twelve years. After retiring for a short stint, Nina realized she missed the day to day interactions with others. She decided to take a position as a Walmart cashier in Henderson. In 2000, Nina moved in with her daughter, Linda, to help raise her three grandchildren. In 2010, Nina retired permanently and became a full time grandma.

Nina, or “Babi” as she was affectionately called by her grandchildren, didn’t get out much to socialize, but always had company coming to visit. Family, friends, and coworkers made up her "Circle" who visited frequently to share stories and laughter. It was this group of loving people who provided unconditional support when Nina fell ill in December, 2016.

Nina was passionate about food and will always be remembered for preparing great meals for her family and friends. She loved animals, at times more than people, and she had a range of pets including; fish, birds, cats, dogs, hamsters, rabbits, an iguana, and even a pet pig named Penny. Nina was a lifelong learner who had a deep appreciation for history. She always did her research and loved a good debate. Although a good listener, Nina had a talent for being a captivating storyteller and was well known for her robust sense of humor. 

Nina was an amazing mother and grandmother, devoting her life to her family. She made every holiday magical and she lived for Sunday dinners when the family would gather together. By Monday morning, she would already be planning for the next weekly gathering. Nina was at times overprotective of her family members, having a keen sense of who was a friend or foe, which she was rarely wrong about. She was a strong and loving matriarch to her family; a beautiful, caring mom and a doting grandmother. She was the family's biggest cheerleader and everyone's number one friend. 

Nina is survived by:

-Her ex-husband, Xenphon Thanopoulos 

-Her daughter Linda and her husband Paul Tappeto

-Her son Daniel Thanopoulous

-Her granddaughter Angela and her husband Jaime, as well as Nina's great grandson Noah DeNuccio

-Her grandson Russell "Drew" Bennett and his wife Alexandria 

-Her granddaughter Mia Bennett

-Her brother Tomasz and his wife Regina Paul 

-Her niece Monika and her husband Robert Palka

-Her nephew Michal and his wife Michalina Paul

-Her great nieces and nephews; Anna, Victor, Emily Palka and Tomasz and Olivia Paul

-Her loving circle of friends who brought endless joy to her life 

Nina will be missed dearly, but she was deeply loved and will be remembered forever.