Arthur Pepe

Arthur Pepe

Arthur Pepe peacefully passed away at four pm on Saturday in the midst of his loving family. Born 1923 in Oliphant Furnace, PA, he was the eighth of eleven children of Crestino and Mary Pepe.  

He worked in the steel mills of Youngstown Ohio while attending Youngstown State University, interrupting his education upon the outbreak of World War II to enlist in the navy, where he would serve on the 66^th destroyer and the USS BIDDLE, seeing action in the Mediterranean Sea. After the war he finished his education at Miami University, graduating with a B.S in Education in 1949.

He was an accomplished musician, able to play every instrument with ease. He met the love of his life, Gerry Purvis, in 1949 while working towards his masters at Duquesne University. They would marry three years later on May 31^st, 1952 and had four children together, Teresa, Betty, James and Frank. They settled in New Paris in 1953 where he became a pillar of the local community and a prolific philanthropist, serving the community in multiple capacities.

He taught music in Ohio, Chestnut Ridge and Somerset schools. He loved working on his farm and being outside. Art was a true renaissance man, continually exploring new skills and interests. A beloved husband, father, brother, and teacher, he touched the lives of all who met him and leaves behind a legacy of love.

Friends and family will be received at the J. Edward Blackburn Funeral Home Thursday, May 29, 2014, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Friday, May 30, 2014 from 2 p.m. until the hour of the funeral service at 3 p.m. at the New Paris United Methodist Church, with Pastor Doreen Griffith officiating.

Military rites will be accorded by the Fort Bedford Honor Guard.

Interment will be at the Cuppett Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cancer Research Institute or the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind.

Arrangements by the J. Edward Blackburn Funeral Home.

Condolences can be expressed online at www.jedwardblackburnfh.com.