Charles D. “Dave” Pappas, 53

May 18, 1969 - January 28, 2023

Charles David “Dave” Pappas, 53, of Millersville, passed away on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at Lancaster General Hospital following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Red Bank, NJ, he was the son of Patricia (Tucker) Pappas of Millersville and the late Charles Pappas. For the past 16 years, Dave was the loving and faithful companion of Alicia Wendel.

Dave grew up in West Keansburg, NJ, where he met the love of his life, Alicia, at 17. They were teenage sweethearts, spending their time together working at Keansburg amusement park. After Alicia moved away, the two lost contact and did not reconnect again until many years later. In 2007, Dave and Alicia reunited and fell in love all over again. Dave knew he couldn’t let her slip through his fingers a second time and proposed to Alicia on March 11, 2007. Since then, the two have built a life together, raising their children and rescuing animals.

For work, Dave was a jack-of-all-trades, and a master of most. He spent many years working construction for Atlantic Concrete Cutting, where he helped engineer and patent new machines and systems that are still used today. His last few years were spent as a general contractor and handyman, remodeling homes and repairing anything and everything for his clients. Everyone who knew him marveled at his mind and how he could fix practically anything with a little brain power and elbow grease.

Dave enjoyed getting dirty and working with his hands, choosing to spend much of his free time gardening, building new contraptions, and caring for his cats, dogs, and chickens. He enjoyed learning, regardless of the topic, though some of his favorites were engineering, technology, and astronomy. Dave would often stay up until the wee hours of the morning just to catch a glimpse of Saturn, (or Jupiter, or some other celestial body). His favorite thing to do, though, was to share the things he cared about with the ones he loved. This could be as simple as sending his sister a photo of a supernova or taking his granddaughter out to feed the chickens together. And while many thought of him as a man of few words, those closest to him knew that he could go on for hours about space, technology, or 80’s rock bands.

Along with his mother and Alicia, Dave is survived by his sister, Tara Pappas of NJ, as well as his children: Jennifer Ellison of Millersville, Chenowa Power and her husband, Connor, of Perkasie, Cheyenne Farquhar of FL, David Phillips, Donna Phillips, and Danielle Phillips of NJ. Also surviving are two grandchildren, Isabella and Aiden, along with countless beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to attend services at 12 Noon on Sunday, February 5, 2023, at the Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, 441 North George Street, Millersville, PA 17551, where a viewing will take place beginning at 10 AM. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dave’s memory may be made to the Space Foundation at www.spacefoundation.org