Günter and Lilly’s love story began in San Francisco, where they were introduced by a mutual friend and set up on a blind date. Sparks flew and after dating for a year, they got married in Pacifica.
Lilly hails from San Salvador, the vibrant capital of El Salvador. She moved to the United States with her mother during her teenage years and attended Terra Nova High School in Pacifica. She still has a large extended family in El Salvador. Günter was born in Nürnberg, Germany and spent a year living in Toronto before settling down in San Francisco. Once they got married, the couple settled into various cities on the Peninsula, where they raised their family. “After our children began to start their own careers and families, we decided to make the move to Blackhawk to be closer to our daughter Stacie and her family (two grandchildren),” says Lilly.
An elementary teacher for more than 30 years, Lilly taught for the Archdioceses of San Francisco. As a young man, Günter attended a technical school and apprenticeship program in Germany in order to become an electrical contractor. Once in the US, he used those skills to transition to a position in biomedical engineering at two hospitals in the Bay Area. He worked in biomedical engineering for 40 years. Lilly and Günter are now both enjoying retirement.
Lilly loves spending time outdoors, tending to her garden. To stay fit, she also practices tai chi. She says her favorite way to spend the day, though, is with her grandkids, “I love spending time with my seven and five-year-old grandchildren, (Evan and Sophie), who live in the neighborhood. From family dinners, to cheering them on when they swim, we have so much fun.”
Günter enjoys playing golf and working on his baby, a 1968 Jaguar XKE. “We are also fans of the SF Giants and 49ers. Our favorite sport though is soccer, and we are avid World Cup fans. We were even visiting Germany when Germany won the World Cup in 1990. It was amazing how people celebrated in the streets,” says Günter.
Their two children are now grown and live in the area. Their daughter, Stacie, lives in Blackhawk with her husband Matt and two children Evan and Sophie. Stacie has a marketing background and uses it to assist non-profits. Lily and Günter’s son, Derrick, lives in San Mateo and works at Google.
A 26 year-old cockatiel named Mollie completes the family. “Cockatiels are expected to live 16-25 years, and the oldest was reportedly 36 years old, so we’ll see how close Mollie gets,” says Lilly.
Teaching their children to speak Spanish and German at a young age is something Günter and Lilly say they are very proud of. “Stacie has now passed the Spanish language on to her two children. It’s so important to speak Spanish in a state like California. It’s also so nice to be a part of a family with various cultural heritages. Günter is German, but Lilly is both El Salvadorean and Chinese. There are various traditions for each culture that are nice to pass on to the children. For example, celebrating Lunar New Year or making El Salvadorean pupusas,” says Lilly.
In their younger years, the Papps loved to travel, exploring destinations all over Europe and Central America. With cultural ties to China, Germany, Hungary, and El Salvador, the Papps have learned the value of travel for gaining new perspectives and creating lasting family memories.
These days, Lily and Günter say they cherish their slower paced life in Blackhawk. “It is such a welcoming community. We left behind a network of friends when we moved, so it was so nice to move to a neighborhood that celebrates holidays together and holds block parties. Halloween in our neighborhood is safe and fun with families walking from house to house. We love to participate in the block parties the neighborhood organizes. We look forward to celebrating many more fun events in our neighborhood and with our grandchildren in the community. It’s such a beautiful place to live.”
By Megan Scott, Resident since 2010
Images Courtesy of Papp Family