By Judy Christie

Col. John Stratis, USA (Ret), 58, “was a big, strong, loud man. We thought he was going to live forever,” his widow, Jeannie Stratis, said. But he died in 2017 after an aortic aneurysm and stroke, leaving her with a child in high school and two in college, hard questions, and difficult decisions.

Although her husband was organized, Stratis said, she didn’t know where he wanted to be buried nor the answers to some account security questions, such as his best friend in first grade.

“Mainly, when my husband passed eight years ago, I didn’t know who to turn to,” she said. “I hadn’t thought it through beforehand. I had to scramble.” 

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After she learned the system, friends began to refer other people to her. “I started getting all these phone calls from all over the world. I just started directing people and providing information.”  

Those experiences and an invitation to a luncheon led her to MOAA, where she has served as surviving spouse liaison for the Sun City Center Chapter in Florida since 2022. She is also a member of the MOAA Surviving Spouses Virtual Chapter.

“The old saying that ‘no one is promised tomorrow’ is certainly true. You can’t delay the planning and the questions,” she said. “I just don’t want to see any other surviving spouse have the process be any more difficult than it has to be.” 

For keeping surviving spouses at “the forefront of everything,” Stratis has been chosen as chapter-level recipient of the 2024 Surviving Spouse Liaison Excellence Award. A MOAA Life member, she is known as a creative and dedicated leader.  

“She frequently rearranges her schedule to accommodate member and chapter needs,” said Cmdr. William Kirkpatrick, USN (Ret), Sun City Center Chapter president. “Through Jeannie’s efforts to educate, encourage, and engage with our surviving spouse members, they have truly become an essential part of the chapter’s family.” 

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He also praised her role in coordinating a Military Benefits Forum, a first-of-its-kind event in the area, that drew nearly 200 participants. Stratis also volunteers with the Tampa Bay Chapter of Blue Star Families and works as a realtor.  

Her key tip for all veterans and family members: Make sure you have a DD Form 214.

“Go home and lay eyes on it,” she tells groups. “That’s the first document everyone asks for. It should be with your will.” 

“An Army brat” whose father served for 31 years and “100% a military wife” for 28 years, Stratis encourages others to get involved in volunteerism. “There’s a place for everyone to be a helping hand to the military community.” 

Judy Christie is a writer in Colorado.