+ Peter Elias Papps, 1954-2024 +
Father Peter Elias Papps of Concord, New Hampshire, reposed in the Lord on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, following a lengthy period of illness.
Born on Christmas Eve of 1954, Peter was the son of Jean and Ourania “Nina” (Mourginis) Papps. His childhood in New York City was centered around his tight-knit Greek family, and with parents that fed his passion for learning. Peter received a broad education that formed many of his life-long strengths. He also developed a love of baseball and the New York Mets always remained his favorite team. He attended Kew Forest School, followed by earning an undergraduate degree from Columbia University, then to Case Western Law School where he graduated with his Juris Doctorate in 1979. He also studied at George Washington School of Law, and earned a degree there. He was a member of both the New York and New Hampshire Bar Associations.
Starting with a job in Queens NY, Peter began his career as a criminal prosecutor where he eventually worked in the homicide division. In 1985 he accepted a job in Concord, New Hampshire at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. This “temporary” stop began his twenty-five year career with the USDOJ, where Peter held the position of First Assistant US Attorney, and was appointed US Attorney for the District of New Hampshire three times. He retired in 2010.
Peter found the Greek Orthodox ministry early in life, serving roles in his home parish of Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Jamaica. When attending law school in Columbus he was tonsured a reader. He was later elevated to subdeacon, and was ordained to the diaconate in 1994. Peter was ordained to the priesthood in 1999, and served as the priest of Taxiarchai Greek Orthodox Church in Laconia, New Hampshire for seven years. The sermons that he gave each Sunday exemplified his faith, knowledge and insight. He was a voracious reader, and his love of languages, travel, and curiosity throughout the years led him to serve liturgies in churches across the globe, most notably in Russia, Moldova, and Greece.
His family remembers Peter’s dry sense of humor, the many stories that he told, and his devotion to the Greek Orthodox faith. His favorite color, purple, was often reflected in the pens that he always carried in his shirt pocket. Peter’s love of literature, in the form of newspapers, books, magazines, or free pamphlets, was a sight to behold. He consumed so much information. His family finds solace in his release from his final illness into everlasting rest.
Surviving are his wife, Kelly (Teller) Papps, and children Samuel and Nina Papps, and Peter Ryan Sheedy; granddaughter, Tabitha Sheedy; sister, Marina Papps; and several cousins.
Friends and relatives are respectfully invited to join the family for calling hours with a Trisagion Service on Thursday, February 1, 2024 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Carriage House at Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, NH.
Funeral services will be held Friday, February 2, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. at St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center, 329 Camp Merrimac Road, Contoocook, New Hampshire, followed by a luncheon on site.
Preceding the funeral, Father Peter will lie in state during The Divine Liturgy, held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., followed by a viewing until the funeral at 12:30 p.m. All are welcome.
Committal services will be conducted in the Papps Family Lot at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Maspeth, New York at a later date.
Donations in Fr. Peter’s memory may be made to the St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center, 329 Camp Merrimac Road, Contoocook, NH 03229.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.