F.J. Pepper was married to former City Council member Del Pepper.
F.J. Pepper, husband of former City Council member and vice mayor Del Pepper, died Jan. 6 at his West End home following a long illness. He was 89.
A longtime psychiatrist in Alexandria, Pepper along with his wife, enjoyed the playful moniker “Dr. Pepper,” often wearing merchandise with the soft drink brand logo as she enjoyed her record-setting political career as the longest serving member of council in the city’s history.
Originally from Nebraska, the couple met while Del Pepper was working a summer job at the Omaha library.
“In walks this guy with all these children, and I thought they were his,” Del Pepper recalled when interviewed as a Living Legend of Alexandria in 2023. “Then I found out he had made a bargain with his brother that he would take his nieces and nephews to the library in exchange for borrowing the car for a date that night.”
The two married in 1966 and moved to Alexandria in 1968. They settled in the West End, where Pepper established his medical practice as Del Pepper embarked on a political career. She was first elected to City Council in 1985, retiring in 2022 after 36 years on council and three terms as vice mayor.
“While F.J. was an accomplished psychiatrist who served our community, first and foremost he was a supportive husband and father,” said former Mayor Justin Wilson. “He approached every day with a zest for life, literally and figuratively bringing music to every room he was in.”
Born March 21, 1935, in Omaha, Nebraska, Franklin Jay Pepper was the eldest of four children born to Maurice L. Pepper and Ramona Slosburg Pepper. His father, a doctor of internal medicine and cardiology, inspired Pepper’s own career in medicine.
Pepper attended and graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1965 and spent more than 60 years in practice. A Vietnam veteran, he often treated patients who could not afford medical services.
An active member of the Alexandria Democratic Committee, Pepper was a Mason and member of Tall Cedars of Lebanon International. Among his other affiliations was membership in the NAACP and the Departmental Progressive Club.
Pepper is survived by his wife of 58 years, Del Pepper, son Murphy Pepper, daughter-in-law Soo Pepper, and five grandchildren.
A memorial service is planned for a later date in January with arrangements being handled by Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home. Call 703-998-9200 or visit www.everlywheatley.com for more information.
Added Wilson, “I will miss F.J. 's presence in our city and I am keeping Del, Murphy and his grandchildren in my thoughts.”