Pepper's obituary

Pepper Louise Brydon, 69, of Tempe, AZ passed away peacefully at home on July

17, 2021 of breast cancer.

Pepper was born on June 5, 1952 to James Kirkland Brydon & Marion Louise

Brydon (Buell) in Erie, PA. Pepper is survived by her husband (Jon) William R.

Sturm and her daughter Halli B. Sturm, and her sisters Bonnie Wood of

Coudersport, PA and Dr. Jan Brydon of Erie, PA.

Bio:

Pepper grew up loving nature, gardening and learning. Pepper was an

accomplished equestrian rider, training and competing with Arabian horses in both

dressage and jumping. She worked through college as a senior lifeguard and

swimming instructor. She loved hiking, biking, swimming, skiing, yoga, and

gentle walks. Pepper moved to Arizona in 1977 to pursue her dreams of living out

west having grown up loving Zane Grey novels. Pepper was a person who could

open any door and step inside to find answers, and with the knowledge gained,

she helped others, bringing new ideas to those who needed them most. Pepper

loved words and stories in all forms: poems, novels, lyrics and movies. She lived a

full life, filled with dreams, while always looking forward to something greater.

Family:

Pepper was a loving wife and mother, constantly serving her family with love and

bringing them unique opportunities of meeting new people, learning new

cultures(s), and traveling. She put her family first but always supported her close

circle of friends with love and guidance. Pepper also completed coursework in

organic gardening and composting, sustainable building, music, vocal

performance, and numerous alternative health practices, sharing this knowledge

with others as well.

Education:

Pepper started her higher education attending Colorado State University in Fort

Collins, CO. There, with a classmate, she helped create the first foreign exchange

program at the University of the Americas in Pueblo, Mexico. She studied there

for a semester immersing herself in the language, music and culture of Mexico.

Pepper finished her undergraduate degree in Speech and Language at Indiana

University of Pennsylvania in 1974. She worked as a Speech and Language

Therapist for school systems in Pennsylvania and Arizona and as a bilingual SPL

Therapist in California.

During her early years in Arizona, she took Masters Degree Courses in

Telecommunications and Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of

Journalism at ASU in Tempe. Later she earned a Masters in Education and also a

Masters in Business Administration. Prior to her death Pepper was working on a Phd in Education and Health Services.

Accomplishments:

Pepper was an avid organic gardener. She created gardens all over her property

and gave organic vegetables to cancer patients and families in need.

Pepper loved music. She co-wrote 75 songs, fully producing 15. She traveled back

and forth to LA and Nashville, meeting and working with some of the industry’s

notable musicians and songwriters. Pepper sang in numerous choirs, and sang

and produced an album of 50 folk songs for the Girl Scouts of America.

Pepper lived life as an Educator. Besides work in SP&L, she was a faculty

member at Mesa Community College in Telecommunication and Video

Production. She trained nurses in continuing education classes in Touch for

Health. Pepper completed coursework in Waldorf Teacher Education, using this

pedagogy to home school her daughter, who graduated from high school along

with two associates degrees by the age of 18.

Pepper was an entrepreneur. She started and successfully ran a video production

company, Pepper Brydon Productions, creating training videos for The State Bar

of Arizona, Dillard’s, PetSmart, and Premier RO Water Systems among others.

She turned her love of art into a beeswax candle making business named

Candlelight Creations which was the top seller at all of the Arts and Crafts Shows

she attended.

Pepper was also a volunteer. In addition to all the above activities, she found time

to serve on various corporate and charitable boards, bringing her keen insight to

enable positive change.

Remembrance:

Pepper, with her unique name, touched the lives of many and will be

remembered with fondness by those she met. Opening doors that others would

only stand in front of, Pepper shared her tenacity and the difficulties of being a

crusader for what she felt was right and true, creating admiration from those who

understood her and criticism from skeptics who did not. What she did and who

she was mattered. She will be missed beyond words by those who loved her and

cherished by those she is already helping in her new role in the heavens.

Due to the intensity of Pepper's illness, our family incurred a great deal of

medical debt in the years of treatment she received. Any donation is greatly

appreciated to get us through this challenging transition.

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