Harold Vernon Pepper, Cdr. USN (Ret) 89 of East Haven, Connecticut, formerly of North Branford, Conn., and San Diego, Calif., died on March 21, 2012. He was 89.
Born in San Diego on September 26, 1922, he was one of nine children of the late Jacob Sebron and Alcia Fears Pepper. Cdr. Pepper served in the U.S. Navy during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Metal with three stars. He retired after 25 years of service.
Following his military career, he worked until retirement for Sikorsky Aircraft as Senior Marketing Analyst. He was the founder and original owner of Pepper’s General Store for Animals in Guilford, Conn.
He was the beloved husband of 67 years to Norma Lee Watts Pepper; loving father of sons James S. Pepper and his wife, Judy, of Vineyard Haven, Michael H. Pepper and his wife, Ann, of Pawling, N.Y., and daughter Ann Page and her husband, Stephen, of Guilford; and grandfather of nine, including Julian, Elias, and Zachary Pepper of Martha’s Vineyard, Micah Pepper of Kauai, Hawaii, and Joshua Lynn of Haydenville.
A Memorial Mass was celebrated in Guilford on Saturday, March 31. Burial services with military honors will take place at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego on June 22.
Those wishing to remember Vern may do so through contributions to the San Diego Air and Space Museum, 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101, where he was a docent for several years, or the Zoological Society of San Diego, P.O. Box 120551, San Diego, CA 92112-0271.
