Thomas Pappas

Thomas Pappas died  in Sioux Falls  South Dakota on 30 November after a long  illness. He was born on 15 September 1929 in San Marcos Texas, to Bill and Helena Pappas who had immigrated to America in 1907 from Sparta Greece.  He was baptized Anastasias Vlasious Papayianopoulos (Thomas William  Pappas).   His name was legally changed by a Texas Judge friend of the family  to Tommy Pappas in the 1940s,  a name he stopped using when he enlisted in the Marine Corps, preferring  Thomas.  

 After serving  in the Marine Corps during the Korean conflict  he attended Southwest Texas State Teachers College obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial  Arts. Upon graduation he was employed by the General Mills corporation in St Paul Minnesota working on classified projects for the Atom Energy Commission.  When that project expired, he joined Raven Industries, in  Sioux Falls, SD, a spinoff f of General Mills.  He worked for Raven Industries  for 30 years in their  balloon/ lighter than air  projects  and retired as the head of their transportation department.  Mr. Pappas was a lover of animals and hunting dogs which he pursued passionately  giving his dogs the best training available in America. His dogs were the  top  of their class competitively.   While Tom was a native Texan, once he left his home state  to join the General Mills Corporation, he became a native mid-westerner and  loyal South  Dakotan and was adopted and supported  by his Sioux Fall friends as a family member.  He is survived by two brothers, Mike Pappas of Temple Texas, Vice Admiral Jimmy Pappas of Norfolk Virginia  and several nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.  His remains will be interred in the family plot in San Marcos, Texas with his parents and two sisters, Mary, and JoAnn.