JAMES THOMAS PAPPAS, M.D.

Born: July 12, 1940
Died: November 5, 2013

Jim Pappas was born in Chicago, son of Thomas Constantine and Stella Passiales Pappas. He attended St. John's Military Academy and Oak Park-River Forest High school.

Jim was a member of Pierson College. He majored in psychology and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, was a ranking scholar and was a member of DKE. Jim was the star right end on the undefeated 1960 football team. His one-handed catches on offense and his fierce defense are unforgettable more than 50 years later and marked him as one of the great Yale ends of the second half of the 20th century. Jim also lettered in track.

A fierce and unrelenting competitor on the field, Jim was also humorous, intense, and brilliant. Teammate Bill Leckonby and your scribe recall Jim in freshman year chemistry. While all around him received grades in the 70s or below, Jim quietly exchanged condolences before he admitted he had a 98. "I sat right in front of him in Chem 10 class," Bill remembered. "Jim asked questions none of us even understood." Others recall Jim with a physics book in the locker room or on the team bus.

Jim graduated from Yale in 3 years and went on to Stamford Medical School receiving his degree in 1966. He completed his residency at Oregon Health & Science University in 1972. Jim was Board Certified in urology in 1975. He settled in Oregon and practiced urology in Portland and Tillamook until his retirement in 2012.

Jim courageously battled cancer for many years. He was in remission off and on. The disease reappeared in force in 2013. However, he was able to attend the 1960 Team 50th Anniversary celebration in New Haven in 2010.

He was, classmate Ed Kaake wrote, "The freest of the free spirits I have ever known, a brilliant man who pissed off his roommates at Yale because he would close the books at 10 PM and ace the exam the next day while they studied all night for passing grades. ... He was a character, a free spirit who lived and loved life to the fullest. You just had to love the man."

"Blunt and truthful," "sharp brain and quick wit," "an insatiable curiosity," "his intensity was always intimidating" - these are among the accolades by which family and friends paid tribute to Jim following his death. Paul Bursiek, '62 team captain, described Jim as "exceptionally smart, tough and independent. But the quality which most impressed me was his determination. We were all very competitive but no one exceeded him in that regard. He was a force I am pleased to have known."

Norm Chimenti, who roomed with him during Jim's 3 years at Yale, contributed final thoughts about Jim: "It's hard for me to state my recollections of Jim in a few words. Our contact was daily. He was a complex and intense guy. There was more than one "Jim," which is probably the strongest memory I have of him. The last time I saw him - at the 50th anniversary of the '60 team party in New Haven - I felt closer to him than I did when we had roomed together. We had both mellowed with age and wisdom. It was a very wonderful re-bonding. I was looking forward to maintaining our reborn friendship. I am very distressed that his illness that he fought for so many years finally did him in."

Jim was survived by his wife Jo Pappas and his children: Holly Pappas of Chicago, Mark (Jeanette) Pappas of Chicago, Mark (Jeanette) Pappas of Indian Wells, California, and Elise (Robert) Flexon of Houston. He left 3 grandchildren. His former wife Sandy Atwood of Indian Wells also survives him as well as his brothers, Dean of Winnetka, Illinois and George of Northbrook, Illinois.

The family requested memorial contributions be made to the Oregon Humane Society or Compassion and Choices of Oregon. The funeral was private but a celebration of his life was held in the summer of 2014.