William John Papanikolas

Born January 22, 1952 in Salt Lake City, UT, son of the late John William and Helen Papanikolas.  Passed away Thursday, May 11, 2017 at age 65.

Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Claudia Papanikolas; their children, Jason (Tiffany) Papanikolas, and Megan (Christopher) Dowell; four grandsons, Alexander, Mason, Caleb, and Logan; sister, Annetta (Ed) Mirabella; his niece and his nephew, and many other loving family members.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his father and mother-in-law, Raymond J. and Billy June Meldrum.

William was an Eagle Scout, a Veteran of the U.S. Army serving during Vietnam, a member of the Order of DeMolay, an avid trivia enthusiast, an active member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church where he proudly served as Sunday School director in both Salt Lake City and Lansing for over 33 years.  William was an employee of Sparrow Health System for over 15 years.  He will be remembered for willingly sharing his wisdom and knowledge as a mentor both in the work place and within his family.  His presence lit up every room.  Great leaders always speak with their hands, which William did, whether telling a great joke or inspiring the best in others.

Visitation will be held at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel on Wednesday, May 17, 2017, from 5-8 p.m. with a Trisagion service at 7:30 p.m.  Burial will take place in Salt Lake City, UT.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions, in William’s memory may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association.

William was known for being an avid Utah sports fan: GO UTES