Michael “Michele” Pappadopoulos, 43, was a Greek citizen from Athens, Greece. He was traveling with his wife Angela and their friend Leonidas Bistis aboard Lusitania from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States to return to Athens. Michael and Leonidas were lost in the sinking. Angela survived.
Pappadopoulos was born on the island of Peramos in 1871. After public school in Peramos, Michael graduated from high school in Constantinople (now Istanbul). It was here he worked for an Armenian who had a large carpet store and shortly after went off to his own enterprise as a carpet merchant. He organised the carpet trade with new methods and had representatives and stores in Asia Minor, Persia and Bulgaria. Thus he created a monopoly in the merchandising of rugs in Europe and America.
In 1911 Michael Pappadopoulos wanted to build a girls school back in Peramos and engaged the services of P. D. Fotides, a famous architect from Constantinople.
The couple left Philadelphia on the 1st May and headed to New York and boarded the Lusitania.
Michael and Angela stayed in cabin B 78 aboard Lusitania, their ticket number being 14673. Michael had a premonition the evening before the disaster and sat in lifeboat 17 until he was coaxed out. As such, Michael is most likely the Greek man that Robert Timmis saw on the night of Thursday, 6 May, strap on a lifejacket, climb into a lifeboat, and attempt to sleep there. The scene was described by Timmis as the funniest thing he ever saw.
When the Lusitania was sinking, Bistis and the Pappadopoulos were in a lifeboat that smashed and was upset as it was being lowered, throwing everyone into the water. In the water, Bistis tried to help Pappadopoulos to get into the lifeboat. They held on for a while and then disappeared.
Michael’s body was recovered on Friday, 14 May, #210. Mr. Baker, upon hearing of the body’s recovery, went to see Angela to inquire about her wishes for Michael. Angela then continued on her way to Athens via Paris, France.
Links of Interest
Lest We Forget: Part 1 – Encyclopedia Titanica
Contributors:
Cliff Barry, UK
Jim Kalafus, USA
Michael Poirier, USA
Judith Tavares
References:
Hoehling, A.A. and Mary Hoehling. The Last Voyage of the Lusitania. Madison Books, 1956.
Kalafus, Jim and Michael Poirier (2005). Lest We Forget: Part 1. ET Research. <http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/lusitania-lest-we-forget.html>
Michael Nicolas Pappadopoulo was born on the Island of Peramos in 1871. After public school in Peramos Michael graduated from High School in Constantinople. It was here he worked for an Armenian who had a large carpet store and shortly after went off to his own enterprise as a carpet merchant. He organised the carpet trade with new methods and had representatives and stores in Asia Minor, Persia and Bulgaria. Thus he created a monopoly in the merchandising of rugs in Europe and America. In 1911 Michael Pappadopoulo wanted to build a girls school back in Peramos and engaged the services of P. D. Fotides a famous architect from Constantinople.
The couple left Philadelphia on the 1st May and headed to New York and boarded the Lusitania.
Peramos is an ancient city in Cyzicos, Asia Minor.M.N. Pappadopoulos builted a school with an eminent architect from Constantinople Perikles Fotiadis.Now that building is in Kastro hill of Karsİyaka (formerly Peramos) village in peninsula of Kapidag (formerly Arctonnenos).