Uvalde, Texas, USA
U.S.C.G.
Petty Officer 3rd Class, USCGC Heavy Icebreaker Polar Star
12/23/2014, San Antonio, Texas
“My husband was Petty Officer Third Class Roberto M Papayanopolus Jr. in the United States Coast Guard. He passed away active duty and was buried with honors, he passed weeks before his 23rd birthday and days before I gave birth to our only child, our daughter. With all the stress I went into early labor . I’ll never truly know what happened but that knock on the door was when reality hit that my husband wasn’t coming home.”- Mrs C. Papayanopolus
Roberto Jr. was born January 12, 1992 in Uvalde, Texas. And was raised single handedly by his father Roberto M Papayanopolus Sr. He had a deep love for family, metal, and cars. Upon graduation from Uvalde High School in 2010, he entered service in the United States Coast Guard in November of 2010. He served on the USCG Cutter Steadfast, and was currently serving on the USCGC Heavy Icebreaker Polar Star. He was loved by all who knew him. He was a friend with a listening ear and a helping hand for those in need. He was an avid metalhead and loved to attend shows and was a talented artist. He enjoyed working on cars and wasn’t afraid of getting greasy and riding motorcycles with his dad. He and his wife Chrystal shared a dream to someday work in his own mechanic shop while she got her nursing degree and then go on to work as a nurse. Sadly his life was cut short and he was robbed of the chance to greet his daughter Rosalie Marie Papayanopolus (she has his initials) and realize the dream he and his wife shared.
He is survived by his wife Chrystal Marie Papayanopolus, his daughter Rosalie Marie Papayanopolus, and Satie Lu, his pit bull; parents Roberto M. Papayanopolus, Sr. and Marisa Hurley; sister, Nicole Papayanopolus-Ibarra and husband, Julian; niece and nephew, Jaida Ibarra, Jakob Papayanopolus, Joel Ibarra; grandmother, Socorro Hurley; uncles, H. David Papayanopolus and wife, Gail, William Hurley; aunt, Ermelinda Papayanopolus; and cousins, Jenifer Marie Papayanopolus, Sophia Hurley; sister by law “insider” Victoria A Castillo and many extended family members and his Coast Guard family.