Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mother, Aunt, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Friend, Christ-follower

Known by most as "Pepper", she was born November 19, 1948, in Phenix City, Alabama, to Douglas Edmond and Elizabeth Jane (Fickel) Gary. Pepper passed away peacefully October 3, 2020 at Cox South. In the midst of her many years of battling various cancers and complications, she held her faith and knew God kept her here to show His light to others.

She spent most of her formative years in Larned, Kansas, and attended four different high schools, meeting David "Dave" Lee Colley at Poudre High School in Fort Collins, Colorado, before graduating in 1966 from Glendale High School in Springfield, Missouri.

She attended Drury University for two years before seeking adventure in Estes Park, Colorado. There she met and married Helmut and had beautiful daughter, Candace "Candy". Unfortunately, the marriage did not work out. Pepper returned to Springfield with Candy. Somehow Dave learned she had returned home and moved himself to Springfield. They married April 17, 1970, and had Tracy in June 1971. Dave adopted Candy as his own.

Pepper was an at-home mom and a Mary Kay representative until opening Gary Advertising & Public Relations with her father, Doug, and Dave. She was the bookkeeper and detail woman behind the creative and sales team of Doug and Dave.

She was a founding member of Women in Communications, Springfield chapter; worked tirelessly on both professional and student ADDY awards and served on the zoo board.

After the ad agency closed, Pepper held the position of grandma nanny for granddaughters, Claire and Schae, worked at MCI and then as the office administrator for T&C Builders for 15 years. In semi-retirement, she volunteered weekly at Highlandville Elementary School reading to kindergarten classes and providing reading enrichment for Cole and Ryan's advanced reading groups.

Pepper's faith and service at First & Calvary began in 1965 when her family, including grandmother, joined the church. For many years four generations of the family attended and served. She and Dave taught Sr. High Sunday School. Pepper sang in the adult choir, served as a church elder and Session member and was very involved in the Logos program until the pandemic. She believed that a strong youth and college program and a multi-generational social environment built a strong church body. Pepper served as a table leader and made sure everyone had nametags for the Logos (The Table) dinners.

She never forgot a birthday, anniversary or graduation even up to the final week when she made sure her younger grandson would receive a final birthday present from her. She should have owned stock in Hallmark! She lived for spending time with her family and friends and brightening the days of others.

Pepper was preceded in death by grandparents, Clarence and Berenice Fickel and Charles and Eloda Gary; parents, Doug and Liz Gary; in-laws, Lee and Ferne Colley; husband, Dave Colley; brother-in-law, Don Smith; and many close friends.

She is survived by sister, Leslie Stevenson; nephews, Taylor Stevenson and Merry, and Alex Stevenson and Lana; sister-in-law and nephew, Linda and Steven Smith, of California; daughters and sons-in-law, Candy Letterman and Terry, and Tracy Curtis and Dean; granddaughters and grandson-in-law, Claire Thompson and Dustin, and Schae Letterman; grandsons Cole and Ryan Curtis; great-granddaughters, Finleigh and Lilith Thompson; and many friends.

Pepper's celebration of life service will be held at First & Calvary Presbyterian Church, 820 E Cherry, on Saturday, October 10, at 2 p.m., under the care of Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to First & Calvary Presbyterian Church youth and college ministries or the Cox Foundation.