James Patrick Peppard

James Patrick Peppard Sr., age 87, of Euclid, Ohio, entered eternal rest on December 22, 2025, peacefully at home, surrounded by his family. Last Rites were administered by Father Michael Stalla.

He was the beloved husband of over 65 years to the late Carol Lee (nee Miller) Peppard; devoted father of James Jr., Michael, Tammera (Mark) DuRant, and Tara; proud grandfather of Shawn (Ellen), Erica, Kia Hope, Brandon, Conor, and Cormac; and cherished great-grandfather of Zoey and Blake.

James was the devoted son of the late Perry Patrick Peppard of Limerick, Ireland, and the late Margaret Rose (nee Siffin) Peppard of Cleveland, Ohio (whose parents came from Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland). He was the loving and devoted brother of Mary Catherine (and the late Melvin) Falle of Strongsville, Ohio; a dear cousin, regarded as a brother, of Gerard Siney (Ann) of Limerick, Ireland; and a dear brother-in-law of Jack Miller (Jean Anne) of Exton, Pennsylvania, the late Frieda (and the late Edwin) Kolberg of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and the late William (and the late Mary) Miller of New York, New York.

He was a loving uncle to many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews, and a cousin of many, both in Cleveland and in Ireland. Notable among his family history, four of his cousins, children of his Aunt Nora and Uncle Tom, were the first quadruplets born in Limerick in 1962. He was a treasured and loyal friend to many, from his early days at St. Rocco, Benedictine, and the "Roving Rods," to his recent days at his beloved East Side Irish American Club.

On February 14, 1938, Jim was born at Metro Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Saint Rocco Catholic School, graduating in 1953. He was profoundly impacted by the Mercedarian Friars, Reverend Father Severino Moltini and Father Sante Gattuso, of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy. He served as an altar boy under their guidance for many years, regularly attending Mass and fervently praying to Mother Cabrini to help him through any troubles.

He played an active role in building the new church during its reconstruction, which began in 1949. He often shared stories of laying bricks for the foundation and helping with the installation of the beautiful mosaic of Saint Rocco and his dog that sits above the altar. He was also very close to the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity, who cared for him and his sister Mary Catherine after school while their father worked at Fisher Foods (and later, the White Motor Company) and their mother worked at Reliable Springs.

He attended Benedictine High School, graduating in 1956. It was a rigorous education under the guidance of the Benedictine monks with an emphasis on work and prayer, "Ora et Labora." Mechanically inclined, he pursued drafting as a specialty. He was active in extracurriculars, playing football under the esteemed coaches Joe Rufus and Auggie Bossu, wrestling, and participating in the school mission club. He also worked painting houses to help support himself and pay for his education.

At this time, he was also a member of the "Roving Rods" with dear friends from the neighborhood. They had unique cars and business cards to let people know that they would help fix a flat tire anytime for anyone in need. They remained lifelong friends.

After graduation, he began his studies in mechanical engineering at Fenn College while working full-time at Cleveland Punch and Shear Works. Due to his strong work ethic, his boss offered him an opportunity to work as a Designer/Project Engineer at Metaflow Research, a subsidiary of Textron, Inc. in Santa Ana, California. He took the opportunity and made the long drive West.

At this time, he married the love of his life, Carol Lee. They bought their first home in Costa Mesa, California, where Jimmy, Michael, and Tami were born. A few years later, the family moved to Connecticut, where he worked for Waterbury Farrel, another subsidiary of Textron Inc. located in Cheshire, Connecticut. He completed his associate degree in mechanical technology from the University of Connecticut.

In 1965, he took the position of Project Engineer for John Fuller Associates, Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1969, he became the Production/Packaging Engineering Manager with the Cole National Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio, where he designed tooling and fixtures to produce 100 million key blanks annually. The family moved to Parma, Ohio, and shortly after this, Tara was born. The family then moved to North Royalton.

In 1975, he was appointed Manager of Engineering for the Kroma Key Program at Sargent & Greenleaf in Nicholasville, Kentucky, where he developed the Double Changeable Safe Deposit Lock. The family followed with many fun trips in a big orange station wagon, traveling back and forth between Ohio and Kentucky. They have great memories of listening to their father talk on his CB radio with truckers along the road.

In 1979, he was appointed Director of Manufacturing for Curtis Industries in Eastlake, Ohio. The family returned to Ohio, settling in Newbury. After 1983, he briefly worked at Roto-Hoe in Newbury and Polytechniques, Inc. in Solon, Ohio. He then proudly established his own company, James P. Peppard Associates, Inc., where he designed and built specialty products and manufacturing equipment. Lastly, he concluded a successful career as a Project Engineer with Automated Packaging Systems in Streetsboro, Ohio. He was responsible for the design and development of special food packaging systems, including the automatic transfer of product to weighing and automatic sealing stations and the discharge of the product. He also designed and developed special packaging systems for hardware items. He developed several patents at this time, notably for NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Treasury.

Throughout his career, he was a member of the American Society of Metals, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Cleveland Engineering Society, and the Associated Locksmiths of America.

Outside of his career, he served as President of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Helen Parish and was always a proud member of the Irish American Club East Side (IACES). He enjoyed his days on East 219th Street building numerous floats for the annual Fourth of July parades. He also loved celebrating his Irish heritage, never missing marching in the Saint Patrick's Day parade during his early years, and later designing and building many award-winning floats for his beloved Irish American Club East Side.

A man of deep and abiding faith, James lived his life in service to God and his family. He now rests in peace, reunited with those who have gone before him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the YMCA and to the Euclid Outpatient Therapy team for their tremendous support to provide James with quality of life throughout the past year.

Family to receive friends Saturday, January 10th, 2026, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm at Ss. Robert & William Roman Catholic Church located at 367 E 260th St, Euclid, OH 44132. Funeral services will begin promptly at 12:30 pm.

To honor Jim's lifelong faith and dedication to education, memorial contributions may be made to St. Rocco Catholic Church or Saint Andrew Abbey, Benedictine Order of Cleveland.