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.
