Fred Pappas

George Frederick Pappas, known as Fred, passed away on April 14, 2026, just past his 102nd birthday. He was born on April 2, 1924 in New York City, New York, the son of Peter Pappas (born Spiros Pagulatous in Kefalonia, Greece) and Margarete Seul (born in Cochem, Germany). Fred spent his early years living in New York and Germany. His family moved to East Meadow Long Island in 1932 where he graduated from Hempstead High School. Fred was an excellent student with a keen aptitude for math and science. He attended Pratt Institute of Science and Technology in New York in 1941 and enrolled in the US Navy officer candidate school after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was sent by the Navy to Cornell University for admittance to the Chemical Engineering program. He graduated with an MS in chemical engineering from Cornell and reported to Midshipmen School at Cornell on May 15, 1943 where he formally entered the US Navy as a Lieutenant. He was stationed in Pearl Harbor, then Midway, then in December of 1944 he was assigned as Chief Engineering Officer on the USS Beryl, a weather ship serving Naval Operations Pacific surviving the 175 knot winds of the 1944/45 typhoons. At the end of the War he was responsible for the decommission of the Beryl and released from active duty. Fred met his wife Ella Anderson Pappas (born in Old Town, Florida) in New York City in 1946 where she attended the Barbizon Modeling School. Fred reentered Cornell into the Advanced Masters program in Chemical Engineering and graduated in 1947, MChE, then joined Esso Research. Fred and Ella were married in March of 1948 in Gainesville, Florida. While at Esso Research he specialized in refining processes, developing over 11 US patents for hydrofining shale oil, the precursor to modern shale oil production. He was sent by Esso to Hiroshima Japan in 1954 through 1955 to assist the Japanese in rebuilding refinery capacity. Fred moved from research to logistics, joining Esso International (now Exxon) in 1961. He and his family resided in the Netherlands in 1961 through 1962 where he was part of the Esso International team on the Shell/Esso natural gas pipeline. Upon return to the US in 1962 he served as Western Hemisphere Advisor for Exxon in the New York home office managing oil transport and shipping refining routes for Exxon. He retired from Exxon in 1973. After his retirement, Fred worked as an analyst for Charter Oil of Jacksonville and as an advisor to Anderson Columbia Contracting Company in Old Town, Florida. Fred and Ella retired to Atlantic Beach, Florida in 1980. In addition to his intense business life, Fred took up scuba diving in the early 1960s when the sport was in its infancy and was an avid boater and fisherman. He was a music lover, enjoyed biking and motorcycle riding during his years in Atlantic Beach, and was an avid reader of Einstein and Feynman. He is survived by his five children Mary Catherine Pappas, Margaret Lynn Pappas (Paul Fritsch), Janet Diane Pappas, David Frederick Pappas (Karen), and Donna Harriet Tillman (Stanley) as well as grandchildren Ryan Tillman, Kylie Tillman, Morgan Wheeler, Lynna Robinson (Ryan), and Alyssa Pappas. His was a long and fruitful journey. May he rest in peace with the Lord and now know answers to the cosmic mysteries he so often contemplated. Graveside funeral services will be held at 1::00 PM on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at the Old Town Memorial Cemetery, Old Town, Florida. Arrangements have been placed under the care of Rick Gooding Funeral Home Cross City Chapel, with locations in Cross City 352-498-5400 and Chiefland 352-493-0050. Please sign the online guest book at rickgoodingfuneralhomes.com

Fred Pappas

April 2, 1924 - April 14, 2026