Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered U.S. and Michigan flags at the State Capitol Complex to be lowered to half-staff on October 13, 2026, to honor and remember former state Senator John Pappageorge. Governor Whitmer said Pappageorge "was a dedicated public servant who served his community admirably in the U.S. Army and the state House and Senate."
Pappageorge was born in Detroit in 1931. He grew up on the East Side and attended Roosevelt Military Academy in Illinois for high school. After returning to Detroit, he worked on an auto assembly line before receiving an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Pappageorge finished a 30-year Army career as a highly decorated officer, retiring as a Colonel. Following his retirement from the military, he worked for General Dynamics Land Systems before entering public service in 1989, when he was elected Oakland County Commissioner. He served in the Michigan State House of Representatives and the Michigan State Senate, focusing on security and veteran affairs. He retired from politics in 2015.
Flags will be returned to full staff on October 14, 2026.