Mr. Cleveland Wesley, Jr. b.k.a “Pepper”
June 22, 1952 – June 26, 2024
On a blessed Sunshining Sunday afternoon on June 22nd of the year of our Lord 1952, The late Cleveland Wesley (SR) and Betty Mae Jones Wesley received their only bouncing baby boy. His grandfather Mr. Tom Wesley affectionately began to call him “PEPPER” because of the freckles on his face when he was born.
Pepper was preceded in death by his father Cleveland Wesley, Sr. in 1972, his baby sister Betty Jean W. Blackburn in 1983, and his mother Betty Mae Jones Wesley in 1987.
Pepper, got his early childhood upbringing in Jones Valley, on Carl T Jones’s farm. He attended Farley Elementary School, when Cleveland and Betty decided to move their family into the city Pepper then attended William Hooper Council Elementary School and Huntsville High School. During his teenage years, he worked as a shoe shine boy at the old Parkway City Mall. He later became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at Windsor House Nursing Facility specializing in Restorative Care.
Pepper was a joker. He loved to dance, and he loved old school music. He could always make you laugh. He was an avid sports fan, especially Auburn University.
Pepper was an uncle like no other, his nieces and nephew could do NO WRONG in his eyes. Nicole, Kim, Monika, and John-John would run to him at the first signs of trouble, and he would save them from their mothers and grandma. He would grab them up and take off running and hide them. His children and nieces loved and stood by him until the end of his days.
He leaves untouchable memories to be cherished by his only remaining immediate family member his loyal, loving, devoted caretaker big sister: Geraldine W. Robinson (Elmore); two sons: Yoland and Julius Strickland; one daughter: LaTricia Strickland; 15 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren; two uncles: James and John Jones (Ethel); one nephew: John Blackburn, Jr.; three nieces: Nicole Fletcher, Kimberly and Monika Blackburn; one brother-in-law: Elmore Robinson (Geraldine W.); and lifetime friends: Robert Lanier (B Sunny), Robert Lanier (Sonny Boy), James Scruggs (Ham); and a host of other family and friends.
Funeral service will be 2:30 p.m., Saturday, July 6, 2024 at the Royal Chapel of Memories (4315 Oakwood Avenue NW Huntsville, AL 35810) with officiating. Interment will be in the Northside Cemetery.
Public viewing will be held from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., Friday, July 5, 2024 and 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., Saturday, July 6, 2024 at the Royal Funeral Home.
