Obituary of John Culetsu

John Christopher Culetsu, age 64, of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 after a short illness.

John was born on February 24, 1958 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the only son of John S. Culetsu and Sylvia (Nastu) Culetsu, both of whom predeceased him. He was raised in a tightly-knit community of families that had emigrated to the United States primarily from Albania and Greece in the early 1900s. He grew up in a loving, multigenerational family with one or another grandparent always nearby.

An affable, outgoing person with a sharp mind, John was attracted to the hospitality and entertainment industry early in life and after graduating college with a B.S. in Business Management, he studied Hotel Management at UNLV as well as Executive Leadership at Cornell University. An extraordinary career followed, including roles as General Manager of the Crowne Plaza & St Tropez Resort and as Executive Vice President & Assistant General Manager of the Palms Casino Resort, both in Las Vegas, NV; Executive Vice President & General Manager of the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mt. Pocono, PA; and finally, as Vice President & Managing Director of the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

John was always attentive to the needs of others, whether family, friends, colleagues, or members of his community, and generous with his time and resources. In addition to the many people and institutions he helped anonymously, John proudly served on the leadership team of the Las Vegas Business Academy, which provides select UNLV students the unique opportunity to pursue their graduate degree with full scholarships for tuition, fees and books. On a personal note, John won the affection of many with his ready smile, quick wit, wide range of knowledge, and unfailing sense of humor.

Throughout his many successes in life, he never lost his deeply-rooted sense of humility. He loved the ocean and traveled extensively, seeing new things, learning, and making friends. He will be sorely missed. He is survived by his partner, Claire Wang; and by countless cousins across the country. May his memory be eternal.

A celebration of John’s life will be held Saturday, August 27, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at Palm Northwest Mortuary, 6701 North Jones Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89131. A committal service will follow at 11:00 a.m. at Palm Northwest Cemetery. Finally, his family will host a reception from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., also at 6701 North Jones Blvd. He will be laid to rest in the Garden of Heritage of Palm Northwest Cemetery.

A Memorial will be held on Sunday, September 18, 2022 following the Sunday Liturgy at St. Dimitrie Orthodox Church, 504 Sport Hill Road, Easton, CT 06612.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Dimitrie Orthodox Church (https://www.stdimitrieeaston.org/).

For travel directions or to sign his online guest register, please visit www.LeskoPolkeFuneralHome.com