Our Dear Mother, Sister, Aunt, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Partner, and Friend.

Bernice Matilda Lucas-Peppers

Was born on February 28, 1940 in Tampa, Florida and attended Middleton High School. While in high school her favorite subject was English hence her passion for poetry writing throughout her life.  Aside from English, Bernice enjoyed being on her high school drill team, the string orchestra, and reading books.

St. Clair Lucas, Sr. and Hattie Barnes-Lucas were the apples of her eyes.  She loved her parents dearly.  As the eldest, Bernice is followed by Verna Lucas, St. Clair Lucas, Jr., Jeraldine Lucas, and Reginald Lucas.  She said goodbye to Tampa, Florida when she married Air Force Airmen, Melvin Peppers, Jr., and served as an Air Force wife for 20+ years.

The mother of five prayed over her children Melvin Peppers, III, Kevin Dale Peppers, Donna Deloris Peppers, Michael Angelo Peppers and David Bryan Peppers constantly. As a friend to many in the North Highlands area, "mom", as many were comfortable enough to call her, was available to comfort a listening ear, talk to, mentor, pray with, laugh with, and nurture.

Many in the community might remember her smiling face when they purchased jewelry from her counter at the local K-Mart, or were lucky enough to have received one or many of her hat designs, doll creations, or her foot jewelry that she delicately strung together.  Mom was an advocate for mental health awareness, especially in children.  When asked what she wanted for Christmas, she would request a donation to a charity in her name.  She did not like seeing homelessness, so on an occasion, she purchased many sleeping bags and provided them to the less fortunate living on the streets around her neighborhood.  But, before the aforementioned, Miss Bernice was a homecare nurse as well as the creative mind and Director behind the first ever Howard Air Force Base Drill Team…side note, she made the eagle mascot suit that her son Michael wore reluctantly…it had wings and a big-yellow beak hood.

Mom had traveled the world visiting and living in places such as Spain, Canada, London, Paris,  Panama, Mexico, the Caribbean, several U.S. states including Colorado, Washington State, Florida, Chicago as well as North Dakota.  She loved to travel.  Other favorite past-times included collecting angels, music boxes, stuffed bears, and her morning cup of coffee or tea coupled with the morning paper followed by a sporadic call to various family when she would tell the joke of the day or just ask, "how are you?"  What was funny was the, "hello, this is mom, hello, helloooo."  Mind you, she was speaking into a cell phone recording and not a landline answering machine.

Unfortunately, on July 18, 2021…surrounded by many loved ones, after battling a long illness, Mom was called home to claim her place in heaven next to her son Kevin and other late family members, including her Father, St. Clair, Sr., mother, Hattie, Sister, Verna, brother,

St. Clair, Jr., half-sister, Virginia Hill…and a host of other beloved family.

Mom devoted her life to the Lord and is survived by her four of five children, 15 grand-kids, seven great-grand kids, her best friend Charles Hamilton of 30 years, as well as members of her extended Peppers and Lucas family, sister-Jeraldine Lucas and brother-Reginald Lucas, in addition to many paternal and maternal nieces, nephews, cousins and beyond. She also leaves a legion of great friends and past colleagues as well as her pooch, Chica.

Finally, the family ask that you honor her legacy by being kind, donate to a charity, live in the moment, forgive each other, be thoughtful and supportive to everyone, as well as stay engaged in your church, school and community…but still find moments to have fun and embrace the child in you. As the days come and go, we will mourn, BUT…we will keep her spirit alive via our memories and will forever have her in our hearts, prayers, and stories.

Love forever.