CATHEDRAL
CITY, CA. Max Major Pappe, 84, of Cathedral
City died at 9:30 p.m. Sunday, February 24, at Amdal Residential Care
in Rancho Mirage, where he has resided since August of 2001 with his
wife of 58 years. He was admired and respected by all who knew him.
A
native of Kingfisher, OK, he was born December 28, 1917. He moved
to Downey, CA in 1948 with his wife, the former Mildred Wittrock from
Okarche, OK, and three children. He retired to Cathedral City in 1971.
The Pappe family was well known in Kingfisher, his grandfather, Richard
Pappe Sr., being among the first settlers there in the opening of
Oklahoma Territory in April 1889. He made his living in the flooring
business and was a full partner in Floor Fashions, Inc. in Fullerton,
CA. In retirement, he pursued his life's passions as an inventor and
ballroom dancer and was an active amateur radio operator, using the
call sign KA6EKV. He was a 30-year member of the Benevolent and Protective
Order of the Elks of the USA, Lodge No. 1905 in Cathedral City.
At
the age of 16 he enlisted in the National Guard in Oklahoma, serving
for six years. In 1940 he entered the regular Army, serving six more
years in Panama and the Philippines as Unit Commander, Field Artillery,
and rising to the rank of Master Sergeant. He was commissioned as
Second Lieutenant after completing Officers Candidate School and was
later promoted to First Lieutenant upon his honorable discharge in
1946.
He
was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur Pappe and Violet Major
Pappe of Kingfisher and one brother, Charles Pappe of Oklahoma City,
OK. In addition to his widow, Mildred, of the home, he is survived
by three children and their spouses, Donald and Judy Pappe of Whittier,
Marilyn and Don Davis of Cathedral City, and Elaine and Robert Lawson
of Laguna Beach, CA; five grandchildren, Kimberly Cheney, Robert Willis,
Angela and Jessica Lawson; and five great grandchildren; a sister,
Louise Altizer of Kingfisher and a nephew, Charles Altizer of Oklahoma
City, OK; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Private
memorial services will be held on Saturday March 9th in Cathedral
City.
The Desert
Sun, Sunday,
March 3, 2002 Kingfisher
Times and Free Press, Sunday March 3, 2002