WYLIE, Texas — Lt. Colonel Bruce Aubrey Pepper, Jr.,

US Army (Ret.), born September 25, 1944, died on February 3, 2021, at the age of 76, after struggling for many years with service related disabilities and PSP.

LTC Pepper is survived by his devoted wife, Kay (Hacker) of Athens, Ala.; and three sons and their families. Lee and Jennifer of Franklin, Tenn.; Todd and Kayce of Lonoke, Ark., and Kip and Aura of Richardson, Texas. He had eight grandchildren, Shane, Spencer, Miles, Andrew, Adam, Cy, Ava and Anna. He also had two great-grandchildren, Caiden and Saylor. LTC Pepper is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Ronald and Sue Pepper of Athens, Ala., and his sister Julia Smith of Lewisville, Texas.

LTC Pepper served in the United States Army for over 26 years retiring in 2000. Prior to his active duty appointment he was a school teacher and principal in Tuscaloosa, Ala., last serving at Boteler Junior High School. He was a graduate of Athens University and received his Master’s Degree from the University of Alabama. He was born in Greenwood, S.C. to parents Erma and Bruce Pepper, Sr. of Athens, Ala.

He served in numerous posts and was a graduate of the Air Assault School and the Airborne School. His two favorite assignments were teaching Military Science (ROTC) at Middle Tennessee State University and serving as an Inspector General (IG) at Camp Robinson, Ark. He cherished working with young leaders and mentored many young officers early in their careers. Having lived in England for a time as a child, he had a great interest in the study of Winston Churchill and World War II. He was also fond of studying Civil War battles and never missed an Alabama football game.

The Charles Smiths and Sons Funeral Home in Lavon, Texas, will host family service with military honors on Monday at 2 p.m.