we lost our beloved pep pep suddenly and unexpectedly. he was the quiet and humble leader of our family, who lived his life with an obvious awareness that everything he had was a gift from God, and he was grateful for each and every blessing.
his favorite thing was Jesus, but his family was a very close second. he enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, and there was no earthly thing that gave him more joy than having his whole family together in one place. no matter the holiday or occasion, it was never a question of how he wanted to celebrate...with all his kids and grandkids coming over, and most likely some bar-b-que and a slice of pie.
he was intentional in our time together and often prepared a devotional to share with us. on multiple occasions he went around the room and talked about each person individually. it was obvious how much he valued each one of us as he took time to prepare, thinking of and praying for each child and grandchild, caring deeply what each of our lives looked like.
jack won't have many tangible memories of his grandpa, but he loved bringing him donuts during the week just for fun and racing dad to be the first one to give pep a hug when it was time to head home from dyer dinner.
there are so many things we will miss and remember about him. he made the best mashed potatoes i have ever had, and his don dyer tacos will always be legendary. he gave me the big family i always wanted, and he knew how much i valued that. but the thing i admired most about him was his unshakeable faith. he always had complete trust in God, and an unwavering expectation that God would provide for him and his family. he was a great man of faith, and we are so blessed to have called him ours.