Nicholas Charles Pappageorge

Nicholas Charles Pappageorge, of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Van Alstyne, Texas, passed away on July 23, 2026. He was born on February 25, 1953, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Marilyn and Bob Pappageorge, the oldest of six children. Nick will be remembered forever for his irrepressible sense of humor, gentle and calm spirit, and deep love for his family.

Nick grew up in Dogtown, St. Louis, with a strong work ethic—he had numerous jobs from childhood, including being a curb boy at Steak n’ Shake—and a love of science fiction and soccer, his favorite sport. He particularly loved his Grandma Minnie and her homemade German pancakes.

He saw Janis Joplin perform live when he was just a teen, and he went on to provide security for concerts at the St. Louis Arena (he liked the Moody Blues best). He could never resist a chance to dance, and shared with his wife and daughters a love of music, especially Motown, disco, and classical. His favorite piece was Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. His favorite food was Old Vienna’s Red Hot Riplets.

As a young man, Nick was a proud officer of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. In the 1990s, he taught history to students at St. Mary Magdalen, and later on he was proprietor of Tres Petite Shoppe in Kirkwood, along with Francine. He especially loved selling teddy bears and was always a friendly face to customers.

His Catholic faith was deeply important to him, and he was a parishioner of St. Augustine By the Sea in Waikiki. He remained devout throughout his life. One of his personal highlights was seeing Pope John Paul II, his hero, visit St. Louis. He was a selfless and loving presence through difficult times and cherished his daughters and grandkids.

The only thing Nick loved as much as his family was making people laugh. He always talked about wanting to try stand-up, but just being in a room with Nick was like going to a comedy show. Often you would be talking to him and see the wheels turning in his head for another series of jokes. He had an easygoing personality and a quick rapport with others; he made friends easily and permanently everywhere he went. Recently, he became a proud member of Lodge 616 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks in Honolulu.

Nick is survived by his wife of 45 devoted years, Francine, his daughters Katie (Renée) Cohen and Kelly (Patrick) Russell, and his adored grandchildren Sallie and Henry Russell, as well as numerous dear friends from St. Louis, Honolulu, and all across the country.

Services will be held on August 13 at Holy Family Catholic Parish in Van Alstyne, Texas. The rosary service is at 10:30am and mass is at 11am.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes memorial donations to Holy Family Catholic Parish and the Elks Lodge 616 Elks Major Project (Purple Pig Program).