Fred Pappas, 76, of Worcester died Thursday, November 23 in the company of his family. He was the son of Fotios and Constandina (Eliopoulos) Papadopoulos. He leaves his wife of 47 years, Athena (Sapkas) Pappas. In addition to his wife he leaves two sons, Peter F. Pappas and wife Nancy of Worcester, and John F. Pappas and wife Elizabeth of Framingham, and a daughter, Connie H. Crowley and husband James of Worcester, and ten grandchildren. He leaves one brother, Peter of Kalamata, Greece whom he loved dearly. He was predeceased by his sister, Irene. He also leaves many cousins in Greece with whom he forged a close bond while growing up together in his war-torn homeland.
He was born in Chrysova, near Kalamata, Greece. He served in a special forces unit in the Greek Army and then as a police officer in Athens prior to coming to the United States. He came to the United States in 1959 and became a U.S. citizen soon after. In Worcester, he started his own catering business, “Peter’s Lunch,” which he ran for over 30 years serving food around the Worcester area. His blue and white truck was a city icon. He retired in 1992. He was a member of St. Spyridon’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral, the Order of AHEPA, the Hellenic Arts Society, and he volunteered at the Hellenic Nursing Home in Canton for many years. He enjoyed discussing politics and history, and followed current events closely. He was well known for his bright smile, sense of humor and the warmth he showed to everyone he met, even in the most difficult times. He worked extremely hard in his business, but always found time to spend with his greatest loves, his wife and children. Upon retiring, he spent his time with his family, particularly enjoying the company of his ten grandchildren. He loved spending summers at the Cape and traveling to Greece with his family.
The funeral is Tuesday, November 28th from O’CONNOR BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME, 592 Park Avenue with a service at 10:00 AM in St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 102 Russell Street. Burial will be in Hope Cemetery. Calling hours are Monday, November 27th from 7:00 until 9:00 PM in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers please make contributions to St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 102 Russell Street, Worcester, MA 01609 or Holy Trinity Eastern Orthodox Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 300 Barber Avenue, Worcester, MA 01606.