Donald E. Pepper

Donald Eugene Pepper, age 72, of Greensboro, GA passed away Monday, May 1, 2017 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens, GA after a long battle with multiple illnesses.  He was born October 24, 1944 in Little Rock, AR the son of the late Roy Pepper and Hazel Strauser Pepper.  After graduating from Mammoth Spring High School in Arkansas in 1962, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1967, relocating to Savannah, GA where he attended Savannah Voc-Tech and Savannah State College, studying electronics and computer programming.  In April, 1972, he enlisted in GA Air National Guard and was assigned to 117^th Air Control Squadron at Hunter Army-Air Field and during his service, he received many awards and decorations by the USAF and GANG to include the Meritorious Service Medal.  He also received his Associates Degree from the Community College of the Air Force in Communications Technology.  He retired from the military on December 31, 2001, with over thirty-five years of military service.

Extremely patriotic, he took tremendous pride in serving his country, as well as pride in his schnauzer dogs and college football (especially UGA Bulldogs and Arkansas Razorbacks).   After residing in Pooler since 1972, he relocated in 2012 to Greensboro, GA where he and his wife could be closer to their daughter.

Donald is survived by his wife of nearly forty-five years, Fleta Glover Pepper of Greensboro, GA; daughter, Michelle Carter Stroup and her husband Eddie of Atlanta, GA; sister, Phyllis Pepper Diederich of Pooler, GA;  a number of nieces, nephews and many friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Richard Francis Pepper.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, May 6, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at McCommons Chapel, 109 W. Broad Street, Greensboro, GA with Mike Horn officiating. The family will receive friends Saturday at the funeral home from 1:00 p.m. until time for the service.

Visitation will also be held at 12:30-1:30 p.m. at Carter Funeral Home, 827 Chestnut Street, Thayer, MO 65791 on Saturday, May 13, 2017.  Interment with full military honors will follow at 2:00 p.m. in the Riverside Cemetery in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas with Erman Croney officiating.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, P. O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148, St. Mary’s Hospice, P. O. Box 6588, Athens, GA 30604 or the charity of your choice.

Local arrangements will be under the direction of Carter Funeral Home, Inc. in Thayer.