Chris Pappas

Chris J. Pappas, 88, passed away peacefully on October 26, 2021 at his home after a valiant battle with cancer. Chris is survived by his daughters; Terianne Pappas and Anastasia Pappas Fuller; grandson Zachary Fuller; granddaughter Alexandra Fuller; daughter in law Carla Kenney and her husband John Kenney (who is like a son to Chris); grandson Chis Kenney and wife Mary; great grandson Leo Christopher Kenney; grandson Paul Kenney and granddaughter Julia Kenney; step-daughter Laurie Navarro and her husband James and their children Sascha and Sabrina Navarro.

Born in Davenport, Iowa to James C. and Anastasia (Esther) Pappas.  Chris is preceded in death by Marjorie (ML) and Joanne. He felt he was fortunate to have two beautiful wives. For his education, Chris attended Davenport High School, where he lettered in Football, Basketball and Baseball.  He went on to attend Coe College in Cedar Rapids Iowa, where he played football his freshman and sophomore years. He was first string quarterback on the varsity team his freshmen year. He coached freshman football his senior year. Chris was drafted in the Army during the Korean War, and attended adjutant General School where he became a postal specialist. He was stationed in Linz, Austria, where he quarterbacked the football team that won the Austria-Italy Championship.  The team was comprised of college and a single professional player.  He also coached and played on the hospital basketball team.  He graduated from Coe in 1957 after his service commitment with a degree in Business and Political Science.  He was the President of his TKE fraternity and President of the interfraternity council.  Chris' leadership made changes in Coe’s curriculum and fraternity rushing.  He was able to get the academic board to do away with required courses that fell outside their major and implemented second semester rush for freshman, which achieved the highest grade point in the history of Coe college, at that time. Chris was hired by the Federal Reserve System of Chicago in August of 1957.  He attended assistant and senior examiners school and trust examiners school from 1957-1962.  He was employed with the Federal Reserve system for 12 years and achieved the status of Senior Examiner and Trust Examiner.  He then was employed by Bankers Trust Company in Des Moines, Iowa as Senior Lending Officer, responsibility in commercial lending, business development, administration asset and liability management, loan administrator and loan workout specialist.   When he examined Bankers Trust in 1967, he classified loans which made Bankers Trust a problem bank and subsequently was hired by Bankers Trust in October of 1967.  A year later when the Federal Reserve and state examiners examined the bank it became an "A" bank.  It maintained its rating through 11 years and until the loan committee was taken over by the president of the bank.  His last year at Bankers Trust, he collected over $10 million in bad loans and resigned October 1, 1982 when he achieved that goal, as he did not want his reputation ruined due to disagreement with the bank president. He was then a consultant for a few years and then was recruited in 1985 by the FDIC to Senior Credit Specialist in conjunction with the Continental Illinois Bank, with the responsibility to work out and settle commercial loans totaling $700,000,000.  After that, in early 1986 he took a position as executive Vice President with Anthony Wayne Bank of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. This was a problem bank in Indiana, that received a Memorandum of Understanding and Chris was able to work out the loans and not only keep the doors open, but make the bank profitable.  William Taylor, Director of Supervision, Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC, indicated that he had never heard of the FDIC removing a Memorandum of Understanding in 90 days.  Chris felt this was his greatest achievement.

One of Chris's greatest loves was playing golf, which he also enjoyed with ML and was grateful to play a round of golf with her the day before she died. By the way, she beat him and he had to pay $10.  Their love of playing golf together is the reason he has their putters with him... so they can practice when they see each other again.

As exceptional as he was in banking and business in general, with many people in many industries seeking his advice, he was most well known for being one heck of a great guy.  Everyone who ever met him, loved him.  He is the man that always has a smile and wants to brighten your day by telling you how great you are.  Countless ladies were told that they looked beautiful today, countless children were given smiles.  Oh, and the guys loved him too.  He was a huge believer in joking around.  He was also a man who shared his father’s simple but profound philosophies, that he passed on to his children and others.  One of our favorites is, "Don’t think about yesterday, don’t think about today, don’t worry about tomorrow, put a smile on your face and say thank God I am alive today".  He was an extremely generous man with both his time and money, always giving more than he received.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Chris’ honor to Abode Hospice or Assumption Greek Orthodox Church of Denver.