Margaret Jean (MacLeod) Pepper
Margaret Jean (MacLeod) Pepper, “Jeanne”, of Bedford, New Hampshire, died on July 15th, 2023. She was 81 years old. In her lifetime, she strived to make every moment special for the people in her world.
Jeanne was born on March 19th, 1942, in Waltham, Massachusetts. Her parents, Malcolm and Gladys (MacAuley) MacLeod raised her in their warm and loving Watertown home. After her father’s passing in 1944, her mother was assisted in her upbringing by her aunts, Anne and Isabel. All three women were strong and kind, and they taught Jeanne the true value of faith, hard work, and service to others.
Jeanne graduated from Watertown High School in 1960. She went on to the Malden School of Nursing where she was awarded the John E. Vanderklish Award for Excellence in General Nursing and named Valedictorian of the Class of 1963. That same year, she married James B. Libby. They raised their two children, Karen and Eric, in their Billerica home.
Jeanne had many accomplishments during her notable nursing career. She was first employed by Malden Hospital, working in roles such as Charge Nurse and spending time in the Intensive Care Unit. This led her to accept a position as nursing supervisor at Medical Associates in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, where she met her loving husband, James “Jim” Pepper.
They married in 1979 and moved to New Hampshire, where Jeanne began working for The Courville at Nashua as the Director of Marketing, Sales, and Long-Term Care Services. There, she spearheaded the development, design, and operation of assisted living facilities. Following her time there, she served as the Director of Community Relations and Retirement Services for Clipper Retirement Communities (Langdon Place of Nashua) until her retirement in 1996. She ended her career as a managerial force in the nursing industry and was a very strong advocate for the local community, specifically the senior population.
Jeanne was a talented artist and spent time painting en plein air on the Maine coast, in addition to creating stained glass work and floral arrangements. She valued time spent with her beloved husband, family, and cats. She had an amazing sense of style (and had even been invited to model for Talbots!). She loved popping into stores in search of gifts she would call “little happys,” and nice cards for her loved ones. She loved making every moment beautiful, whether it was her improvisational cooking of delicious treats or her elaborate, sparkly bows that were attached to every heartfelt present she gave. Even on her toughest days, she found the strength to make sure people knew they were loved.
She and Jim moved into Langdon Place of Nashua in the Spring of 2023, the very building she helped design. They were so grateful to live in such a lovely place and enjoyed the kindness of the staff. Jeanne was a great friend to many and always spoke from the heart. She did not shy away from sharing her opinions but was always kind, and often comedic, in her delivery.
Jeanne is survived by her husband, Jim Pepper; her children, Karen Mumford and her husband, John, Eric Libby and his wife, Renee; her grandchildren, Katharine and Caroline Wilkinson; her stepchildren, Debbie Dougherty and her husband, Carl, Jim Pepper Junior and his wife, Shawnee, Paul Pepper and his wife, Paula; and her step grandchildren, Maegan and Liam Dougherty, Brody and Nate Pepper, and Ben and Emily Pepper.
SERVICES: An hour-long celebration of life and sharing of memories will be held at Davis Funeral Home, 1 Lock St, Nashua, NH 03064 on Sunday, August 20 at 11:30 AM. Friends and family are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, tax-deductible donations may be made to either of the following nonprofit organizations: Spicy Cats Rescue P.O. Box 535, Exeter, New Hampshire, 03833, or visit them online at https://www.spicycats.org/donate; The Marginal Way Preservation Fund P.O. Box 1455, Ogunquit, Maine 03907, or visit them online at https://www.marginalwayfund.org/donate/ An online guestbook is available at www.davisfuneralhomenh.com. (603)883-3401 “ONE MEMORY LIGHTS ANOTHER.”
Spicy Cats Rescue
Online: https://www.spicycats.org/donate
By Mail: Spicy Cats Rescue P.O. Box 535, Exeter, New Hampshire 03833
The Marginal Way Preservation Fund
Online: https://www.marginalwayfund.org/donate/
By Mail: The Marginal Way Preservation Fund P.O. Box 1455, Ogunquit, Maine 03907