Remembering Steve "Pappo" Pappas

An OceanCity.com Reader Pulse tribute

When OceanCity.com shared the news that Steve "Pappo" Pappas had passed, we asked our readers for stories, "Did you meet him through the Greene Turtle, work with him, or share a favorite Ocean City moment with him? Please share your story in the comments. If you have a photo to share, we’d love to hear about that, too.". The answers poured in from bartenders and busboys, rec-league teammates, a beer salesman, childhood friends from Dundalk and generations of summer visitors who simply knew the Turtle as the place to be. We have read and summarized these 55 comments for our readers.

Pappas, the man who built the Original Greene Turtle on 116th Street into one of Ocean City's best-loved institutions, died Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, after a battle with cancer. He was 72. This is Ocean City's tribute to him, told largely in your words.

From a summer job to an Ocean City institution

Like thousands of college kids before and after him, Pappas came to Ocean City in 1976 for summer work. He and his Salisbury State friend Tommy Dickerson landed behind the bar at the Greene Turtle, a small uptown pub that had just opened on 116th Street serving cold beer, peanuts and backgammon. Even then, Pappas later said, the two had a feeling this town was their future.

In 1981 they bought the place. Neither had much money, so his parents took out a second mortgage on their home to help fund the $40,000 purchase. The pair turned the English-style pub into a sports bar, and it grew from there: a Fells Point location with college friend Billy Packo in 1986, a kitchen and expansion at the original in 1989, West Ocean City in 1999, and franchising starting in 2002 that took the Greene Turtle name to nearly 30 locations across the Mid-Atlantic.

Through all of it, Pappas kept the original as his own. He liked to say the first Turtle could never be copied, calling it "organized chaos." Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan, a friend of roughly 50 years, said Pappas embodied "the best of Ocean City."

Known by one word

"Steve Pappas was one of very few people in OC that is known by one word," wrote reader Rina Fox Thaler. Say "Pappo" in this town, and everyone knows exactly who you mean.

The word readers reached for most often was heart. Thom Lord called him "a first-class human being, as big a heart as a person can have." Patty Dixon Ward said he "always had a giving heart." EJ Foxx remembered "a true Delmarva treasure gone too soon," a sweet and generous man "entrenched in the community."

For some, the friendship went back long before the Turtle. Sandy Peters grew up with Steve in Dundalk, where their families were best friends, and remembers "the small boy always playing with a soccer ball." Lee Kendall has known the family since kindergarten and said Steve was "always someone who wanted the best for everyone." Kenny Tyler, a friend since college, put it simply: "He is one of a kind, thankfully."

Others saw how proud he made the people closest to him. Alan Levy was close friends with Steve's father-in-law, Len, and remembered when Steve bought the restaurant: "Len could never stop bragging about Steve."

And Pappo's support could be personal. Patricia Shaffer called him her "biggest advocate" for quitting smoking "and my biggest champion till this day," then added, with a smile you can almost hear, that "he loved to aggravate me about the Steelers."

Boss, coach, teammate

The Original Greene Turtle is famous for staff who stay for decades, and several readers explained why. "I worked for Pappo for years. Best boss ever," wrote Laura Poskus. "Pappo, rest easy my friend." Will Lewis got his very first job there at 14, bussing tables on St. Patrick's Day, a rite of passage for many a local teenager. David Cia first met him about 40 years ago while working at Tugo's uptown.

The relationships ran past the payroll, too. Robert T Cold has been selling beer to the Turtle for more than 15 years and wrote that, judging by the way they got along, he hoped they had become friends.

Sports were never far from Pappo's life. He played soccer and lacrosse at then-Salisbury State College and later coached there. Henry Boyer said he was "well liked on and off the lacrosse field," and that success carried into his professional life. Patty Dixon Ward remembered him as "a great coach." Bernie Walls first met him at an Ocean City Men's League basketball game, and Thom Lord recalled playing many rec-league games with him over the years.

Memories made at the Turtle

Some of the best stories happened under that roof. Mike Carll stopped by the Turtle with the guys before his wedding, only to find it wasn't open yet. Pappo came outside himself to ask what was going on. When he learned of the celebration waiting outside, he opened the Greene Turtle early to accommodate the wedding revelers - which is exactly the kind of thing readers say Steve would do.

Patricia Cherrix James worked at the Carousel Hotel across the highway and lived on 118th Street. She couldn't drive past without stopping in for the good music. Marty Gervasi says that when he's in OC, he always stops at the Turtle to eat, and that Pappo "made the best Bloody Marys." Andrea Franke Policicchio simply remembered how much fun it was. Asher Levin recalled that Steve knew his mother well from the years she ran an art studio in Ocean City.

His generosity reached well beyond the bar. Mayor Meehan has recalled Pappas regularly supporting the town's recreation programs and children's teams and opening the Turtle for charity events. The Ocean City Police Department remembered him as a devoted supporter and the smile he flashed whenever officers, mounted or otherwise, stopped by. Messages of condolence also came from the Worcester County Chamber of Commerce and Ocean Downs Casino.

A legend, in one word

One reader, Kevin McNulty, needed only a single word for his comment: "Legend." Many others said it with a prayer, a heart or a simple "Rest in peace, Pappo."

The Original Greene Turtle marks 50 years in 2026, and it carries on in family hands, with his son Stephen serving as general manager. Every birthday, playoff game, first date and reunion that happened there is part of what Pappo built.

Our heartfelt condolences go to his wife, Dawn, their children, the Greene Turtle team, and everyone who knew and loved Steve. If you have a memory or photo of Pappo you'd like to share, add it in the comments on our Facebook page. We'll keep listening.

Sources: The Baltimore Banner · The Baltimore Sun via Yahoo · Delaware News Journal via Yahoo · WBOC · The Dispatch · Coast TV