Catherine "Katina" Catechis Pappas

Apr. 18, 1930 - Sept. 19, 2016 Katina Pappas was born on April 18, 1930 in Gadsden, Alabama where she grew up steeped in Greek heritage and Southern culture-a combination reflected in her incredible cooking. She loved people by feeding them: pots of soup, pounds of spaghetti, lambs at Easter and black-eyed peas at the New Year. She was as adept at frying a perfect chicken and fixing a meringue-topped banana pudding as she was at preparing a pan of spanakopita or dolmades with avgolemono. She spent sixty years living with & cooking for the love of her life Billy. They met young at a dance, and he swore that night that that he would marry her. They were partners in love, work, and family for the rest of his life. And when she could no longer cook, she would still preside over meals, making suggestions and teasing the chef. She was quick to joke and quicker to laugh. She loved fiercely & prayed deeply. She was devoted to her church and family. And she was always up for a good chat over a cup of coffee. She is survived by her daughter, Dorothy Lee(Stewart); sons Dean Pappas(Myra) and Jimmy Pappas(Angela); grandchildren Mary Katherine Pappas Thorn(Gabriel) and Brian Pappas; and her sisters Koula Lorant(Jerry) and Irene Tracy. Visitation will be Wednesday Sept. 21 at 5:30-7:00 pm at The Greek Orthodox Cathedral; 307 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL with a Trisagion Service to follow at 7:00 pm Funeral Service will be held on Thursday Sept. 22 at 10:30 am at the church with burial following in Elmwood Cemetery. Fr. Paul Costopolus officiating. Memorials may be made to the Greek Orthodox Cathedral