Mr. Darwin L. “Pep” Pepper, 89, of Burlington, died October 12, 2026, at his home.
Born on September 23, 1937, in Waterloo, Iowa, he was the son of Leo and Ruth Shave Pepper. Pep graduated from Charles City High School, attended Iowa State University, and graduated in 1981 from Iowa Wesleyan College.
He married his one true love, Sandra D. Arndt, on February 27, 1960, at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charles City, Iowa.
Pep had worked for Oliver and White Farm Equipment in Charles City and started in 1974 as assistant purchasing manager for J.I. Case Company, retiring in 2000.
He was a member of the Burlington Moose Lodge #579, obtaining his Legion degree, Fellowship Degree of Honor, and serving as Administrator since 2019. Pep was a proud member of the GOP.
He will be remembered for his love of puns, sense of humor, and making people smile. He had a kind heart, was patient, and generous with his time helping others. Pep enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing, bowling, boating, dancing, and traveling with Sandy. He was a loyal fan of the Chicago Bears, Iowa Hawkeye Football, Indiana Fever, and was a past member of the Iowa National Guard.
Though he is no longer by our side, the love he gave and joy he brought will stay with us always.
Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Sandra; his three children, Kelly Pepper of Burlington, Debra “Deb” (Dave) Peterson of North Liberty, IA, and Mark (Jodi) Pepper of Farmington, IA; six grandchildren, Tyler (Julie) Peterson of Cedar Rapids, IA, Caitlin (Brandon) Davis of Liberty, MO, Emily (Josiah) Shawdale of Ft. Collins, CO, Lindsay (Clay) Schwartz of Wapello, IA, Sarah Stockdale of Genoa-Kingston, IL and Casey Pepper of Cherokee, IA; five great grandchildren, Eleanor, Griffin, Charlotte, Emmett, and Liam; three step grandchildren, Madison, Logan, and Brianna; and special family member, and mother of Casey Pepper and Lindsay Schwartz, Jill Pepper.
Pep was preceded in death by his parents and one sister.
The Celebration of Life service for Darwin L. “Pep” Pepper will be held at the Moose Lodge #579, 2529 Mt. Pleasant Street, Burlington, IA, on Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Burial will be at a later date in Sunnyside Memory Gardens, Charles City, IA.
A memorial for Moose Lodge #579 has been established in memory of Darwin L. “Pep” Pepper.