J. David (Dave) Pepper, 59, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully on Saturday, December 28, 2019 at his home in Barrington, Illinois. He was born in Evanston on January 15, 1960 to Richard and Roxelyn Pepper. He was a civil engineering graduate of Iowa State University, where he met his wife, Katy. Dave served as CEO of Pepper Construction Group and lived his life in service to others and was widely known for his kindness and generosity.
Dave's life centered around his family and friends. He enjoyed cooking, boating and travelling and frequently said that being part of his family was the best leadership lesson of his life. He believed that values shape lives, particularly through unexpected turns, and Dave instilled honesty, gratitude and openness into the culture of Pepper Construction, which he led from 2003.
Dave was known as a champion of education and held multiple leadership roles including president of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) Education and Research Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to improving the science of construction. Dave was also involved in workforce readiness and school mentoring programs. Most recently, Dave served on the Providence St. Mel School Board of Trustees; the Dominican University Board of Trustees; Junior Achievement of Chicago's Board of Directors and Executive Committee; and served as a Management Trustee to the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters and supported their educational programs over several decades.
Dave also actively served the community as a member at St. Michael’s Episcopal church and was a member of the Economic Club of Chicago; The Chicago Club; the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation and The Commercial Club of Chicago. Dave leaves behind his loving wife Katy and their three children, Ali, Lauren and Colin; as well as his parents, Richard and Roxelyn Pepper; brothers, Dick, Stan, Scot; and sisters, Lisa and Lynda; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
A memorial visitation will be held Friday, January 3, from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church located at 647 Dundee Avenue in Barrington. The memorial service will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 4 at the church. Additional parking will be available across the street at St. Matthew Lutheran Church located at 720 Dundee Avenue.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Dave's memory can be made to Bishop Anderson House at https://www.bishopandersonhouse.org/donate/ and St. Michael's Youth Program at 847-381-2323 or info@stmichaelsbarrington.org. For more information, or to sign the guestbook please visit https://www.davenportfamily.com/notices/JamesDave-Pepper.
Related Stories
| Aug 9, 2016
Top 100 University Construction Firms
Turner Construction Co., The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co, and Skanska USA top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest university sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
Building Team | Aug 4, 2016
Thought leaders from architecture, engineering and construction to meet at 2016 Bluebeam eXtreme Conference
Bluebeam users inspire technological change through shared insights and training at three-day event.
| Aug 4, 2016
MULTIFAMILY BUILDING GIANTS: Rental complexes focus on affordability, accessibility, and specialty amenities
To address the affordability problem and attract tenants, owners and developers are experimenting with smaller and smaller units, amenity-rich environments, and “co-living” concepts.
| Aug 4, 2016
Top 80 Multifamily Construction Firms
Lendlease, Suffolk Construction Co., and Clark Group top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest multifamily building sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 3, 2016
GREEN BUILDING GIANTS: Sustainability leaders turn to wellness and technology to get an edge
AEC leaders in green building are stepping up to a higher level of innovation and to be a green leader today, you have to dig deeper into data.
| Aug 3, 2016
Top 90 Green Building Construction Firms
Turner Construction Co., Clark Group, and Hensel Phelps top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest green building sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 1, 2016
K-12 SCHOOL GIANTS: In a new era of K-12 education, flexibility is crucial to design
Space flexibility is critical to classroom design. Spaces have to be adaptable, even allowing for drastic changes such as a doubling of classroom size.
| Aug 1, 2016
Top 80 K-12 School Construction Firms
Gilbane, Balfour Beatty, and Core Construction head Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest K-12 school sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Jul 29, 2016
AIRPORT FACILITIES GIANTS: Airports binge on construction during busy year for travel
Terminal construction will grow by nearly $1 billion this year, and it will keep increasing. Airports are expanding and modernizing their facilities to keep passengers moving.
| Jul 29, 2016
Top 45 Airport Terminal Construction and CM Firms
Hensel Phelps generated more than $660 million in revenue last year to earn the top spot on BD+C’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest airport terminal construction and CM firms.
