Gerard "Jerry" F. Peppler, 68, of Pensacola, FL, passed away on Sunday, November 30, 2025.

Jerry, as he is known by family and friends, was born in Washington, D.C., to Paul and Francesca Peppler.  He grew up in the Maryland suburbs of D.C. until he was 14 years old when he moved with his parents and older brother, Charlie, to Miami, FL. He graduated from Miami Killian Senior High School, keeping up with his classmates and having attended the 50th reunion of his class of 1975 this past June.

He was a man of many talents, including art and drawing, woodworking, writing, singing, cultivating native plants, and storytelling. He never stayed in a job for too long and worked at various times as a draftsman, surveyor, forest ranger and firefighter, journalist, and cab driver. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1992 reaching the rank of Petty Officer Second Class as a GSE technician aboard the USS Vicksburg before his honorable discharge in 1996 due to a nagging back injury.

Shortly after his discharge, he met his lifelong partner and soulmate, Cleva Mihalic, and became a father figure for two of her children. Cleva and Jerry shared many good times and some bad times as Jerry lost his only daughter, Teresa, and battled cancer in the last few months of his life.

He is survived by his beloved Cleva; her children, Jennifer and Patrick; his grandson, Weston; his sister, Paula; his brother, Charlie; and sister-in-law, Ellen; his niece, Andrea, and nephews Jeff, Jon, Andrew, Terrence, and Brendan, as well as several grandnephews and a grandniece.

Many thanks are extended to the nurses and physicians from the Emergency Room and Intensive Care Unit at Sacred Heart Hospital for their professional care and treatment of Jerry.

A Funeral cortege will depart Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel at 9:00 am for a Graveside Service at Barrancas National Cemetery at 9:30 am on Friday, December 19, 2025. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 12:10 pm at the Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel, 19 N. Palafox St., Pensacola, FL 32502 with Fr. Grant Sennott as the celebrant.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in memory of Gerard F. Peppler to: SVDP Food Pantry, Po Box 17645, Pensacola, FL 32522. "Please write Food Pantry in the memo section of the check."