Obituary of Mala Geralyn Pappas

Mala Geralyn Pappas, (62), of South Bend, Indiana, died unexpectedly on Friday, April 26, 2024. 

She was born on April 16, 1962 to parents Richard Pappas and Mary Pappas, née Sevcik. in Detroit, Michigan, the third of four children in the family. Raised in a small, 2 bedroom, cinder block house, Mala enjoyed her early years in Garden City, Michigan, attending St. Dunstan’s Elementary school.  St. Dunstan’s, a focal point for the family, helped form her relationship with God.  She was a devout Catholic throughout the entirety of her life. 

Garden City offered a suburban experience to her parents who were denizens of Detroit their entire lives.  She enjoyed the usual amenities that neighborhoods offered, participating in Girl Scouts, swim lessons, ice skating, and softball and enjoying summer vacations camping throughout the lower and upper Peninsulas.  

When she was 10, her family relocated to Whitmore Lake, Michigan, because her father wanted a more rural experience and they needed more space for the growing family. She quickly immersed herself making friends at her new school, Wylie Middle school, in Dexter, Michigan and participating in after school activities such as ceramics in Dexter.  Moving to Dexter High School, she continued after school activities, studied, and graduated after her senior year. 

After High School, Mala moved to Chicago, enjoying the bustling city.  She eventually became a lifelong Cubbie fan for her beloved Cubs.  She also enjoyed cooking and caring for her German Shepards.  

She married David Conant and they had a daughter, Josephine Conant, and both survive her.  The family spent years moving around for work and eventually settled in Indiana, a place she enjoyed the most, and where she stayed after they divorced.  

She is also survived by her siblings Pala (Guy Botero), Gerard (Gena) Pappas, and Christopher (Patti) Pappas. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews, close friends, and her beloved German Shepard, Stavros. 

The family will be receiving friends and loved ones on May 18th, 2024 for a visitation at Assumption Grotto Catholic Church, 13770 Gratiot Avenue, in Detroit at 9:30am, followed by a Catholic Mass at 10:00am. Burial to follow at Assumption Grotto Cemetery. 

A very special thank you to Yoder-Culp Funeral Home in Goshen, Indiana for their assistance in handling the arrangements and taking good care of our family.