Gyda Margrethe DePeppe

Gyda Margrethe DePeppe (nee Pedersen), wife and mother, resident of Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head in SC, died peacefully surrounded by family at the Friends of Caroline Hospice in Ridgeland, SC, on February 25, 2025. She was 76. 

She was born on November 26th, 1948, in Bryn Mawr, PA, to parents Oskar and Redette Pedersen. A devout Catholic, Gyda graduated from Holy Family University with a double BA in Business Administration and Personnel Psychology, followed by an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources from Saint Joseph University in Philadelphia. She worked in Finance and Human Resources for Westinghouse, AJ Burton Group Communications, McCormick Foods, Maryland Technology Assistance, and Family Services Centers of Tampa, FL. She later became a Guardian Ad Litem to advocate for orphans needing legal and emotional support. As her career developed, she became Director of Personnel for two non-profits. Exton, PA, Timonium, MD, and Trinity, FL, have all been called home. She volunteered at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Trinity, FL, later becoming their Director of Religious Education. 

Gyda belonged to many Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head (LMHH) clubs: Creative Writing, Live Flower Arranging, the LMHH Grief Club, Mahjong, Acrylic Artists, the Latitude Whiskey Club, and the Paper Crafting Club. She also co-created Open Cards Afternoon at the Lake Club. She came up with the name “Girls Night Out” for the Phase 5 Ladies Group, which has over 200 members. 

As a Demonstrator for Stampin’ Up, she crafted handmade greeting cards and home décor and loved to cook and entertain. An avid reader, her latest books were always nearby. Always ready to engage in conversation, she shared her myriad insights into topics in history, politics, and society, adding her bubbly personality and wry sense of humor to every gathering. 

Gyda was the oldest of nine children and survived by many, who often gathered as a family. Her brother, John Pedersen, and sisters, Truth Pedersen and Madeleine Gaynor Leach, predeceased her. She is survived by her husband of 41 years, Harry Nicholas DePeppe; her son, Captain Christopher and daughter-in-law Elizabeth Sharik of Vero Beach, FL; sisters Katrin and husband Samuel Teel of Glenburn, ME; Allyson Darlington of St. Augustine, FL; Christine and husband Michael Kelsey of Plymouth, MA; her brother Matthew Pedersen and his wife Dr. Teresa Kudlak of Castine ME; and sister Amy and husband Michael Wardwell of Palm City, FL; and many cherished nieces and nephews. Gyda was a woman of grace and wit. She is dearly loved and will be missed by all.