Carl G. Whitbeck III, best known as “Pepper,” passed away on Thursday, July 29, 2021. He was the loving husband of Gabriella (Thiele) Whitbeck and devoted father of Alexandra Grace (13), Jackson Kane (12), and Siena Catherine (7).
Pepper was the oldest of four children, born to Carl Gifford Whitbeck, Jr. and Catherine Kane Whitbeck and raised in Hudson, NY. He attended Albany Academy where he excelled in both academics and athletics and was a three-sport varsity athlete playing soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. He was a member of the cum laude society and served as the President of the school’s student council.
As a child, Pepper spent summers at Camp Becket in the Berkshires and vacationed on Cape Cod where the family home in Popponesset was a place of lasting memories. Pepper’s close relationships with his siblings Catie, Corey, and Casey, as well the pride and devotion of his parents, provided immeasurable support as he excelled at Williams College, where he met his future wife, Gabriella. He was a member of the varsity lacrosse team and graduated cum laude in 2000.
Pepper started his career at Lehman Brothers working in investment banking. In 2002 he joined AXA Investment Managers where he spent the next twenty years working tirelessly to create and foster a best-in-class investment team. As the Head of US Fixed Income and US High Yield, colleagues and clients alike had great respect for Pepper, inspired by his sincerity, professionalism, and dedication.
Outside of work, Pepper was a devoted supporter of his children and the activities they explored: he coached basketball, lacrosse, and football, and was often found on the sidelines cheering them in soccer, basketball, football, lacrosse, skiing, and swimming. He was their biggest champion.
A fierce competitor himself, Pepper also completed triathlons, loved a round of golf with friends, and was a key member of the Ridgefield Men’s Softball League. He was an avid skier and enjoyed many winters with family and friends in Stratton, Vermont. His childhood on the Cape nurtured a love of the ocean that was recently rekindled with his wife and children on the beaches of Watch Hill, Rhode Island.
Despite all of Pepper’s success in his career and the hobbies he enjoyed, nothing was more important to him than time spent with his wife of 17 years, Gabriella, and their 3 children; Alexandra, Jackson, and Siena. Together as a family they visited foreign countries and exotic beaches, skied Europe, swam with pigs, and rode camels in the desert. And yet, some of the best memories were made at home: sitting by the pool in summer; snuggling by a fire in winter. Pepper loved conversation and loved to be surrounded by his wife, his children, and the special people in his life who would talk with him, challenge him, learn from him, and laugh with him.
He was so loved.
Pepper is also survived by his father, Carl G. Whitbeck, Jr. (Sandra J Craig), his siblings, Corey Whitbeck and his wife, Bailey, Casey Whitbeck and his wife, Alexandra, and Caitlin Whitbeck and her husband, David Fisher, his mother-in-law, Hanne Thiele, his brother-in-law, Kristian Thiele and his wife, Lesli, as well as his nieces and nephews: William and Thomas Whitbeck, Nora Whitbeck, Mae, and Burton Fisher, and Kaia and Kristian Thiele.
Friends and family will be received on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Kane Funeral Home - 25 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield, CT. A Celebration of Pepper’s Life will take place on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Le Chateau - 1410 NY-35, South Salem, NY. Interment will be held privately.
Contributions in Pepper’s memory may be made to: The Pepper Whitbeck Memorial Fund, Albany Academies Annual Fund, 135 Academy Road, Albany, NY 12208.
Please Note: Per the CDC and State of CT Department of Public Health, wearing a mask or other facial covering is recommended while attending a public indoor gathering.