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Maria Pappas shares emotional stories of family, faith and perseverance during Romanian Heritage Center book signing
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas recounted her childhood in West Virginia coal country, her journey into public service, and a spiritual experience in Romania that inspired the conclusion of her new memoir, “Maria the Pappas,” during a book signing event hosted by the Romanian Heritage Center in Des Plaines, Illinois, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026
By Ray Hanania
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas shared deeply personal stories of childhood hardship, family tragedy, religious faith, and her remarkable journey into public service during an emotional discussion of her new memoir, Maria the Pappas, at the Romanian Heritage Center in Chicago on Thursday, October 8, 2026.
Speaking before members of Chicago’s Romanian-American community, Pappas described how growing up in a working-class Greek immigrant family in a small West Virginia coal mining town helped shape the determination, compassion and commitment to helping others that would eventually define her career.
The book traces her journey from a young girl raised among coal miners, immigrant families and the Greek Orthodox Church to an educator, psychologist, attorney and one of Cook County’s most recognizable elected officials.
But Pappas told the audience that her memoir is about more than political accomplishments. It is a story about overcoming adversity, understanding the struggles of others, and finding strength through faith.
“I’ve had an amazing, amazing, amazing life,” Pappas said. “And I’m close to you because I grew up the way you grew up.”
Pappas recalled growing up in a household where Greek was spoken, grandparents competed over who prepared the best food, and where attending church was a central part of everyday life.
Her parents operated a small restaurant across from the town’s only hospital, where the family sold 10 hot dogs for a dollar. As a young child, Pappas delivered food to hospital workers and learned to communicate with people from different backgrounds.
“My job, at five and six years old, was to talk to the customers,” she recalled.
Those experiences, she explained, helped prepare her for a lifetime of working with Chicago’s diverse ethnic and immigrant communities.
Childhood tragedy helped shape her determination
One of the most emotional moments of the evening came when Pappas described her mother’s serious illness during her childhood, which is addressed in detail in the memoir.
Pappas recalled being just 11 years old when her mother was hospitalized and undergoing psychiatric treatment. She described confronting the physician responsible for her mother’s care and struggling to understand what was happening to her family.
The experience left a lasting impression.
Rather than allowing the family’s difficulties to overwhelm her, Pappas immersed herself in music, school and the church. She became an accomplished clarinetist, participated in baton twirling, and organized a children’s church choir.
She also developed what she described as a lifelong determination to solve problems and help people facing difficult circumstances.
“I became the person who felt like they had to fix everything,” Pappas said.
That instinct followed her into a career in psychology and counseling, where she worked with troubled individuals and taught in several countries before pursuing a law degree.
Pappas recounted how a Chicago judge encouraged her to become an attorney after witnessing her passionate advocacy for a young man facing criminal charges.
She subsequently approached Chicago-Kent College of Law and demanded an opportunity to enroll, even though the next class had already been closed to new applicants.
Three hours later, she recalled, the school called to tell her she had been admitted.
“It’s a story about somebody who never knocked on a door,” Pappas said. “They knocked the door down to get in.”
She said she hopes young people will read the memoir and recognize the importance of determination, resilience, and refusing to surrender when confronted with obstacles.
A spiritual journey from Greece to Romania
Faith is another central theme of Maria the Pappas, connecting her childhood in West Virginia to some of the most meaningful experiences of her adult life, Pappas explained.
Pappas described the devastating emotional impact of losing both of her parents and the spiritual journeys to Greece that helped her cope with their deaths.
Following her mother’s death, she traveled to Crete, where she walked alone through a mountain gorge and discovered a small church dedicated to St. Irene — the name of her mother.
The discovery overwhelmed her with emotion and became a defining moment in her grieving process.
After her father’s death, she returned to Greece and visited a monastery, where a conversation with a monk helped her find peace.
Those experiences reinforced the religious beliefs that had guided her since childhood.
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Pappas recalled attending the elaborate Orthodox ceremony, surrounded by thousands of clergy and worshippers, while reflecting on the people and experiences that had shaped her journey.
“My pilgrimage to Bucharest, Romania in twenty twenty-five … was transformational,” she said.
Standing inside the cathedral, Pappas said, she felt connected to every chapter of her life, from the young girl growing up in West Virginia to the woman who arrived in Chicago in 1972 with only $500.
“My faith, my work, my failures, my victories,” she recalled. “I don’t think I’ll ever experience anything like that again in my lifetime.”
Pappas said her close relationship with Romania and its people reflects the shared traditions of Greek and Romanian Orthodox Christians and the experiences of immigrant families who came to America seeking opportunity.
Romanian community celebrates Pappas’ memoir
The book-signing event was hosted at the Romanian Heritage Center with support from the Consulate General of Romania in Chicago, United Romanians, and other community organizations.
Carmen Feraru served as emcee, while Romanian Heritage Center host Steven Bonica, publisher of the Romanian Tribune newspaper, welcomed Pappas and praised her longstanding relationship with Chicago’s Romanian community.
Bonica said Pappas’ involvement with ethnic communities has been one of the most impressive aspects of her public service.
“Tonight, she’s here as our friend. Tonight, she’s here as a book author,” he said, emphasizing that the memoir also includes a chapter about Romania.
The gathering coincided with a milestone for the Romanian Tribune, which recently distributed its 500th edition during its 25th year of publication.
The evening also brought news that a family in Romania had offered to finance the translation and publication of Maria the Pappas in Romanian. A community organizer announced that the family had agreed to cover the costs after learning about the memoir and its chapter devoted to Pappas’ experiences in Romania.
The announcement was greeted enthusiastically by Pappas, who has visited Romania several times and maintains close relationships with members of the Romanian-American community.
A lifetime of public service and a message for the next generation
Pappas also reflected on her decades in Chicago and the ways her upbringing continues to influence her work as Cook County Treasurer.
She described attending cultural celebrations, visiting churches and participating in community events as opportunities to remain connected with the people she serves.
Her approach, she explained, reflects the immigrant neighborhoods and religious communities that surrounded her during childhood.
Pappas said the greatest measure of her success is not money or political recognition, but the friendships she has developed, the experiences she has enjoyed and the people she has been able to help.
She also acknowledged the frustrations of public life and briefly discussed her interest in Chicago’s 2027 mayoral election, saying she had not formally announced a candidacy.
But throughout the evening, Pappas repeatedly returned to the message at the heart of her memoir: that perseverance, faith and compassion can help individuals overcome even the most painful experiences.
She said she especially hopes children and young adults will read the book.
“It’s a story about … how to survive in a … very sick world,” Pappas said.
Reflecting on her extensive personal archives at Loyola University, Pappas said she has never wanted to define herself solely by past accomplishments.
“I was never about what I did. It was always about what I was going to do,” she said.
For Pappas, Maria the Pappas is both a reflection on an extraordinary life and an invitation for readers to find purpose in their own struggles.
“It’s never about what you did. It’s about where you’re going,” she said. “And I always think that today is the first day of my life.”
For more information on Maria’s book “Maria the Pappas,” visit her websote at MariathePappas.com.
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Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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