Dr. George Pappas, M.D.

Dr. George Pappas, M.D., passed away on July 21, 2025 at the age of 91. He is survived and loved by his children Adelaide (Kevin) Naughton of Lakewood CO, George E. (Hazel Nelson) Pappas of Anchorage AK, his late wife of 53 years Gail Houston Pappas, and late daughter Sarah Pappas. He is cherished and loved by his grandchildren Rebecca Whitaker of Deer Park WA, Abigail Cott of Pineville MO, Caleb Cott of Bella Vista AR, Patrick Naughton of Parker CO, Angela Naughton and George Naughton of Lakewood CO. He was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Vasiliki ‘Bessie’ Pappas of Burgettstown PA, and his brothers and sisters Charles, Tony, William, Frank, Harry, Sophie, and Helen.

Dr. Pappas came from a very humble upbringing born to immigrants from Crete, Greece. He was the first doctor in his lineage. He distinguished himself as a conscientious and imaginative clinical surgeon accomplishing many firsts in the pioneering of cardiovascular thoracic surgery. He was a pioneer in the field of organ (heart, liver, and kidney) transplants and was first in the world to perform a double organ transplant (heart and kidney) in 1970 and first to transplant a human heart valve in a six-year old boy. Dr. Pappas was known worldwide for his many contributions to heart surgery and organ transplantation. His work has been presented in many foreign countries including Russia, England, Spain, and Venezuela. He authored over 100 scientific publications and textbooks related to heart surgery.

After graduating from Davis & Elkins College, he attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, completed his internship at the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, and completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN. Dr. Pappas then moved to Colorado to become Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Denver and Chief of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at The Children’s Hospital in Denver where his pediatric accomplishments included performing heart surgery on 500 pre-maturely born babies without a single loss.

Dr. Pappas was Professor of Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center where he trained several hundred medical residents from across the globe. He performed more than 3,000 procedures in his career saving thousands of lives which, in addition to his developed techniques and research in the field of surgery, has led to saving tens of thousands of patients, if not a factor more, in future surgeries.

Dr. Pappas was known for his sheer will, determination, impervious work ethic, hardheadedness, zero tolerance for errors, and his deeply kind and warm-hearted bedside mannerism with his patients and their families.

Funeral Service: July 29, 2025 at 12:30pm Horan & McConaty - South 5303 East County Line Road Centennial, CO 80122.

The family requests in lieu of flowers that memorial donations be sent to Mission Hills Church in Littleton, CO.

Service to be live streamed at: https://bxcited.com/george-pappas/