Lesley Bergman

Lesley Bergman, 95, of Pensacola Beach, FL, formerly of Hawthorn Woods, IL, passed away peacefully on November 11, 2025. Born on October 31, 1930, Lesley lived a long and vibrant life filled with creativity, adventure, and deep connections with the people around her.

Lesley enjoyed a successful career with Quaker Oats before following her passion for antiques. Her remarkable eye for unique pieces and her entrepreneurial spirit led her to become an avid antique dealer and the founder of The Country Peddler, a business that reflected her creativity, resourcefulness, and love for all things vintage.

In 2001, Lesley became a beloved “snowbird” on Pensacola Beach, where she spent her winters for two decades. In 2021, she returned to the beach to live full-time, where she enjoyed many a Sunday dinner watching football with her family.

Lesley embraced her life on the Gulf Coast wholeheartedly. She volunteered at Gulf Breeze Hospital and became an active member of the Gulf Breeze Senior Center, where she enjoyed movie nights, acrylic art classes, and the “Memories to Memoir” writing group. There, she captured many of her favorite stories and reflected on a life well lived.

You could always recognize Lesley—she never went anywhere without a hat. And perhaps unsurprisingly, her social life also included being a member of the Red Hat Society

Fiercely independent and never afraid of an adventure, Lesley had a love for travel. Later in life, she fulfilled her dream of seeing the world with her husband, Dieter. Together, they explored far and wide. She truly became a globetrotter, embracing every adventure with curiosity and excitement.

Lesley was preceded in death by her beloved husbands: James E. Bailey, Jr., James Zappen, and Dieter Bergman. Each of them held a special place in her heart and shared in the many chapters of her extraordinary life.

Lesley is survived by her son, Jay Bailey (Kathy) of Gulf Breeze, FL; her grandchildren, Sarah Alber (Joseph), St. Petersburg, FL; Kristin Leonard (Austin), Freeport, FL; and Tyler Bailey, Gulf Breeze, FL; and her great-grandchildren, Miles Alber, Regan and Jackson Leonard.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Saint Francis Episcopal Church, earmarked for the Gulf Breeze Senior Center, at 1 Saint Francis Dr., Gulf Breeze, FL 32561.

The family will lay her to rest in Illinois, which she had always called home.

A heartfelt thank-you goes to the friends she made on the beach, the Gulf Breeze Senior Center, and Emerald Coast Hospice. You filled her heart with friendship, care, and joy—we will be forever grateful for the last few years you shared with her.