Peter B. Pappas

Peter B. Pappas, 86, passed away peacefully on May 5, 202l in Bedford, NH. He was born on March 16, 1935 in East Meadow, Long Island, New York. to the late Margarete (Seul) and Spiros Pappas.

Peter served proudly in the US Navy on the carrier ship Ticonderoga during the Korean War. Following his service he attended Hofstra University and graduated from Adelphi University with a Bachelor of Science degree in theoretical physics.

Early in his career Peter worked for Grumman Aerospace Corporation. At Grumman, where Peter served as lead engineer for the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) vehicle on the iconic Apollo Space Program, he worked directly with the astronauts at NASA. The LEM vehicle remains on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

From there, Peter moved to American Bosch Arma Corporation where he served as a Program Director building inertial guidance systems for the Atlas Missile Program followed by many other major national security programs.

In the 1980's Peter led the INEWS/F22 Electronic Warfare Advanced Development Program at Lockheed Sanders (now BAE Systems) in Nashua, NH. Through the success of that program, Lockheed Sanders secured long-term positions on both the F22 and JSF/F35 programs which created thousands of jobs and have provided billions of dollars in economic impact to Southern NH that continues to this day.

From 1990 until his retirement in 1997 Peter served as a Vice President and General Manager of the Counter Measures Division at Lockheed Sanders, the heart of the company's core business. Under Peter's leadership, Lockheed Sanders designed, developed and produced numerous Electronic Warfare Systems that provided protection for a wide variety of aircraft and other vehicles for the U.S. Defense Department, allied forces and special agencies. The company's success in those years enabled Lockheed Sanders to maintain and grow it's position as the leading Electronic Warfare company in the world.

Throughout his career Peter was known worldwide for his contributions to numerous domestic and international military programs. His strong intellectual curiosity and remarkable skills in analyzing and solving complex problems earned him respect and admiration of many throughout the industry. "The Pappas Principles" --a set of plain spoken, common sense tenets for running a successful business--are still talked about and applied today. Peter was a member of the Association of Old Crows (AOC), The American Defense Preparedness Association (ADPA) and the Association of the United States Army (AUSA).

For many years Peter enjoyed cruising up and down the East Coast. European travel, especially to Greece, and wintering in Mexico for many years, brought him much joy. He also enjoyed golf and was a long standing member of the Manchester Country Club.

Peter leaves behind his two devoted daughters Susan Babka of Weare, NH and Jane Devereaux of Marrietta, Georgia. He was the proud grandfather of his much loved four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Peter is survived by his brother George F. Pappas of Atlantic Beach Florida---four nieces and a nephew.

On May 1, 1981 Peter married Cynthia (Cindy) Cloutier who also survives him. They shared forty years of never to be forgotten adventures and everlasting love.

Calling hours for Peter will be held on Tuesday, May 11 from 3:00 - 6:00 PM at Phaneuf Funeral Homes, 243 Hanover St. Manchester, NH. A Funeral Mass will be take place on Wednesday, May 12 at 11:00 AM at St. Elizabeth Seton Church in Bedford, after which he will be laid to rest at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Manchester.

MAY PETER'S MEMORY BE ETERNAL