Fran Peppers

Frances (Fran) Peppers, a resident of Lexington, Virginia, died on March 18, 2016, with her husband of 50 years, Larry Peppers, and their family by her side. She fought a valiant battle against ALS. As Dylan Thomas urged, Fran did rage against the dying light. Born December 20, 1943, in Ottumwa, Iowa, Frans parents were Joseph and Rita Yochum. Fran is survived by her husband, Larry; her children, Todd Peppers and Susan Peppers-Bates; her daughter-in-law, Michele Peppers; and four grandchildren, Ben Peppers, Sam Peppers, Anne Marie Peppers-Bates, and Sophia Peppers-Bates. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Mark Peppers and his wife, Susan. In addition, she is survived by six brothers and sisters, Mary Dean Williams, Jorita Madison and her husband Robert, Chuck Yochum and his wife Carolyn, Kay Eaton, Mike Yochum, and Susan Terrell and her husband, Mike. Fran grew up on a farm in rural Iowa, and, despite being a member of a large Catholic family, she gave her parents and her siblings clear notice that she was a liberated young woman who would not be bound by the tight social strictures placed upon female behavior in the 1950s. That spirit of individualism and excitement remained with her through the rest of her life. Fran and Larry Peppers met and dated in high school and were married in 1965 while Larry was a senior at Grinnell College. Her energy and determination were unbounded, and she finished typing her husbands 300 page dissertation only days before she gave birth to her second child, Susan, in April 1970. Fran and Larry moved to Lexington in 1986 when he assumed the position of Dean of the School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics at Washington and Lee University. Upon arriving in Lexington, Fran taught business courses for four years at Southern Seminary for Women in Buena Vista. During the years from 1986 to 2015, Fran single-handedly curated over 50 art shows for local and national artists. She brought art and artists to the campus of Washington and Lee and to Lexington. Her love for the human figure caused more than a few W&L students to question the Dean of the Commerce School as to why nude paintings should hang in public display. Fran had two strong and enduring passions in life her family and the pursuit of artistic beauty. She was a devoted and fierce supporter of her husband, her children, and her grandchildren, all of whom learned many important lessons from her, not the least of which was that you have to pursue your goals, even when others tell you that they are impossible. Her love of flowers and nature led her to become an artist and a supporter of the arts in Lexington. Indeed, the beauty of the rolling hills of Virginia inspired her on a daily basis. After studying art at Hollins, Washington and Lee, UVA, and the Philadelphia Academy of Art, she became an established oil painter who specialized in the human figure. Frans final art show is currently hanging in the Kamen Gallery at the Lenfest Center at Washington and Lee. It features many paintings of the family members she loved so dearly. Fran and Larry spent many summer vacations on the beaches of Southern California, and the power and beauty of these beaches and their glowing sunsets are central to a number of her paintings. Fran was honored in October 2015 for her work on behalf of the arts when Washington and Lee President Ken Ruscio dedicated the Larry and Fran Peppers Reading Room in Huntley Hall at Washington and Lee University. While Frans time on earth has come to an end, she requests any memorial donations in her honor be sent to Project Horizon in Lexington. She was an avid supporter of the role of women and children and, in particular, their protection from all forms of abuse. Her family will hold a private memorial service at John M. Oakey & Son Funeral Home in Salem, Virginia. Burial will be in a private ceremony at Sherwood Memorial Park in Salem, Virginia. Online condolences may be expressed at www.johnmoakey.com. The Peppers family is being served by John M. Oakey & Son Funeral Home in Salem, 540-389-5441.