Mary “Lucia”‘s Obituary Mary “Lucia” Dye Pepper passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 2, 2019, after living 101 years of life to the fullest. Lucia was the third of six children born to Ida and William Dye. She was born on September 18, 1917, in Panama City, FL.
Lucia graduated from Pensacola High School in 1935 and soon began her career working as a dental assistant for Dr. John Marvin Pepper, whom she married in 1942. Since Dr. Pepper was a dentist in the Navy, the young couple lived in Memphis, New Orleans and San Francisco before returning to Pensacola. Lucia and Marvin ultimately settled in Gulf Breeze where they raised their two daughters; Marcia Pepper Robinson and Mary Pepper Anderson.
Lucia remained Dr. Pepper’s dental assistant until he passed away in 1992. After his death Lucia moved back to Pensacola where she pursued many of her passions. Lucia went back to school at Pensacola Junior College and took courses in Painting and in Mediating.
She became a certified mediator in her eighties! She was a gifted painter and loved painting flowers and seascapes. Lucia was also an extremely talented floral designer.
She arranged flowers for church services, weddings and parties. She took great pride in her weekly designs for Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church. She continued to serve on the flower guild into her Nineties.
She loved every type of crafts and all her friends benefitted from her designs, especially Christmas ones. Lucia loved Golf. She especially enjoyed playing golf with her husband Marvin, either at the Pensacola Country Club or in the mountains of North Carolina.
She continued to play golf into her nineties. She enjoyed playing bridge in several groups, especially her Monday girls and continued to play bridge until she was almost 100. Lucia was a great cook.
She enjoyed baking and would deliver “goodies” to her friends and family. Just before she moved into assisted living she made 30 pounds of chex mix to give to everyone she knew. Lucia was a great leader and was always willing to take on a leadership role.
She served on the Board for several Mardi Gras groups, the Pensacola Country Club Golf Association, her condo homeowner’s association as well as any role she was asked to take on at church. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her brothers, Bill Dye and Albert Dye; her sisters, Jane Dye Bickel and Ida Dye Shuman; her mother and father-in-law, Alice Mahone Pepper and Barton Marion Pepper; brother and sisters-in-law, Mary Alice Pepper, Clara Pepper Cornwell, Marion Barton “Pep” Pepper and her son-in-law, Harry English Robinson, Jr She is survived by her sister, Elmyra Dye Testman; her daughters, Marcia Pepper Robinson and Mary Pepper Anderson (Rhette); her grandchildren, Mary Katherine Greene (Tom), Matt Smith (Stephanie), Will Anderson (Jennifer), Cynthia Fox (Bill) and Cater Carlton (Chris); and her great-grandchildren, Meme Greene, Pepper and Robinson Smith, Sims, Wilkes, Ann Bevill and Ava Anderson, Cody, Carlyn and Winston Fox, Arden, Cater and Holland Carlton; she is also survived by the Batson girls, Cindy Anthony, Ann Stokey (Jeff) and Susie Kimmel (Bob) as well as the Kimmel children, Mary Proffit and Winston whom she loved like her own and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial Service celebrating Lucia’s life will be held 11:00am Monday, January 7, 2019 at Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church. A private family committal service will be held at St. John’s Cemetery. Pallbearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in honor of Lucia to Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church, 75 Fairpoint Dr., Gulf Breeze, FL 32561 or to the charity of your choice. The family would like to thank those who faithfully visited Lucia. We would also like to thank the staff at The Haven of Our Lady of Peace, especially those on Heritage Court for their wonderful care and compassion, especially during these last years.
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