Pat Gus Pappas

Pat Pappas died peacefully on June 3, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Pat was born on December 14, 1936, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas to Gus and Antigoni Pappas, Greek immigrants. From an early age, he was active in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, earning a Life Scout rank and 22-merit badges, and was later tapped into the Order of the Arrow.

He graduated from Pine Bluff High School in 1955 and enlisted in the Army Reserves serving eight years and attaining the rank of Sergeant (E-6).

Pat was deeply involved in youth leadership organizations, joining the Order of DeMolay, where he became the first master counselor from Pine Bluff and later the first Chevalier from the area. At age 21, he became eligible for Freemasonry, joining the Scottish Rite and achieving the 32nd degree.

In 1960, he graduated from Henderson State Teacher’s College with a degree in mathematics and physics and taught high school math for one year in the Plum Bayou Schools.

In 1962, Pat Joined Lockheed Missile and Space Company as an engineer, working on the Polaris Submarine Missile and Aegina Program. He also recruited college engineers for Lockheed and escorted 22 engineers from the United Kingdom to Bremerton, Washington, where missile systems were tested aboard submarines.

While in California, Pat met Alice Pantages at a Greek Picnic in the summer of 1963. They married at the Annunciations Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco on March 14, 1964, and settled in Sunnyvale, California where their children Stephanie and Dean were born.

In 1968 Pat and Alice moved to Pine Bluff, where he established an insurance agency with Farmers Insurance, operating it until his retirement in 2003.

When the children were young the family enjoyed trips to the beach in Florida and snow skiing in Colorado. Pat was an avid outdoorsman. He loved hunting and fishing with his son and grandchildren. Pat went on a number of mountain hiking trips in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and New Mexico. In 1989, he and his cousin Peter went to Greece and hiked Mt. Olympus and visited the Mt. Athos Monasteries.

In 1993, residents from El Dorado encouraged him to run for Congress amid concerns over a proposal to dam the Ouachita River. He placed second in the runoff election. Following that campaign, community members in Pine Bluff urged him to run for state legislature. Pat went on to serve six years as a state representative, serving on the Education Committee and City and County Affairs Committee. During his tenure, he helped pass legislation requiring college and university professors to be fluent in English before teaching.

Pat is survived by his wife of 62 years Alice Pappas, daughter Stephanie Wilcox (Kevin), son Dean Pappas (Leslie), and his five grandchildren Samuel Wilcox, Matthew Wilcox, Isabel Wilcox, Abigail Pappas, and Sophia Pappas. Pat is survived by his sister Eva Pappas and his brother Christopher Pappas.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude in Memphis, Shriner’s Hospital in San Francisco, and Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Little Rock.

Visitation will be held on June 7, 2026, from 5pm - 7pm with the Trisagion Service starting at 6pm, at Smith Little Rock Funeral Home (8801 Knoedl Court, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205). A funeral service will be held June 8, 2026, 10am at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church (1100 Napa Valley Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas 72211) followed by burial at Pine Bluff Cemetery (2122 W. Pullen Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas).