Louis Pappas, who died at age 88 on April 25, began his career as a restaurateur, then built and repaired televisions in the 1950s and retired as a United Airlines mechanic turned inspector.
His meticulous attention to detail dovetailed with a lifelong interest in technology. The son of Greek immigrants, he ran Pappas Chili, in the Stout Street and Broadway location that later became famous in its incarnation as the Punch Bowl Tavern.
He was unrelated to the Colorado Pappas family that made a local empire of Greek restaurants and taverns.
As television sets became increasingly common in American homes in the early 1950s, Pappas left the restaurant business to work at Balas TV. He learned to build a TV set, starting with a cathode tube, and put together a set that his children still remember.
“He used a blond wood cabinet, and put together the whole insides and the TV screen,” recalled daughter Christine De Longchamp of Denver.
“It had two knobs – one on the left to turn it on and adjust the volume and one on the right for changing channels. I remember laying on the floor, watching ‘Rawhide’ and Milton Berle and ‘Sing Along With Mitch,’ and a lot of other stuff that people don’t remember unless they grew up during that time.”
Later, as commercial airplane travel grew increasingly affordable, Pappas changed careers to become a mechanic for United Airlines.
He applied the same exacting attention to detail in his new job, often diagnosing potential problems as well as repairing existing troubles. Supervisors noticed. They promoted him to airline inspector, a title Pappas held until he retired.
During the last year of his life, when spinal arthritis confined him to a wheelchair, Pappas used his technical aptitude to maintain his independence. Confronted with an obstacle, he patiently worked out possible solutions in his head until he found something viable.
“He got in and out of bed, knew how to dress himself and transfer himself from his chair to his scooter, and cooked until recently,” De Longchamp said.
“It was against his doctors’ advice, but he had his own method, and it worked for him.”
In addition to De Longchamp, he is survived by another daughter, Patricia Sprague of Weston, Maine; sons Louis Pappas Jr. of Highland Falls, N.Y., and Stan Pappas of Arvada; brothers Demosthenes Pappas of Carbondale, Demitri Pappas of Santa Cruz, Calif., and Harry Pappas of Denver; and four grandchildren. His wife, Bernice, preceded him in death.
Staff writer Claire Martin can be reached at 303-820-1477 or cmartin@denverpost.com.
