47 Andrew Pappas (Andy) was one of the most influential figures in my life, as a father should be. But more than just a father, I was blessed to have him as a business partner and a mentor. As you might imagine, it was not always peaches and cream working with each other. We would often have our differences, as stubborn Greeks always do, but we would always be able to resolve them, which led to a very successful partnership. While my father had a long and distinguished career, the most memorable times for me were family times. Andy, born on Dec. 28, 1926, in Cheyenne, WY, knew my mom since they were very small children, and on June 19, 1949, he married Theoni Harrison, his childhood sweetheart. Come December 1950, I showed up, followed by four siblings. Our immediate family and the Pappas/ Harrison extended family would be my dad’s greatest joy in life. All his children are married and very successful, with many grand- and great-grandchildren. He was so proud of his family that he wrote and published a book entitled The History of the Andrew & Theoni Pappas Family. Andy attended Cheyenne High School and graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in Civil Engineering. During college, he worked many jobs to pay for his education. He worked in the family restaurant, the Valencia Café in Cheyenne, for United Airlines at their maintenance base in Cheyenne, as a Union Pacific Railroad brakeman, did traffic counts and road inventory for the WY Highway Department and was a “hasher” at the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority in Laramie. After college graduation in 1949, he immediately went to work for the Wyoming Highway Department in the Planning Division. However, he also worked part-time as a bartender at the Valencia and Pioneer Bars in Cheyenne and was the secretary of the Cheyenne Liquor Dealer’s Association. In 1956, Gus Hollo, an architect in Cheyenne who had his office near the Valencia above the Lincoln Theater, was hired to remodel the family bar. During the project, my father worked with Morris Kemper, who worked for Gus. Jokingly, my father told Morris to hire him so he could work for him and learn the profession. By Stephan Pappas, AIA Emeritus Mentor, Business Partner, and My Father Andrew S. Pappas, 1926-2022 While my father had a long and distinguished career, the most memorable times for me were family times. CONTINUED ON PAGE 48
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