Robert Earnest Peters
Nov. 10, 1921-Nov. 8, 2013
Palo Alto, California

Robert E. (Bob) Peters died peacefully on Friday, Nov. 8, at the Veterans Administration hospital in Palo Alto, surrounded by his family just two days shy of his 92nd birthday.

Bob was born on Nov. 10, 1921, in Champaign, Ill., the eldest child of Rev. Earnest J. and Frances (Kristufek) Peters. The son of a Methodist minister and nurse who had met while serving during World War I, Bob grew up in several towns in Indiana. A highlight following his high school graduation in 1940 was playing the trombone with Woody Herman's band in the Midwest. Bob enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and served from 1942-1945, primarily as a crew chief for B-24 Liberator airplane mechanics on duty in North Africa. He took particular pride in devising a technique for engine repair that helped to quickly get aircraft back into action. Bob studied mechanical engineering at Purdue University, and he earned his LL.B. degree from Indiana University in 1952. Soon thereafter, Bob established a solo law practice in Lafayette, Ind.

Bob married Mary Margaret (Peggy) Garigan in 1950. They settled in West Lafayette, Ind., where they raised five children. Peggy died in 1971. Bob is survived by his brother, Glenn (Elizabeth) Peters, and by his five children: Katherine (James) Eckstein, Thomas (Dianne) Peters, Elizabeth (Claude) Dumpson, Margaret (Robin) Malloy, and Barbara (Dale) Pollek. Bob is also survived by Nora Weissman, his beloved friend of many years, and by his eleven grandchildren: Ahmed and Aja Cooper and Claudia Dumpson; Jeff (Kerry) and Meghan Peters; Laura and Brian Eckstein; Gina (Andrew) Claxton and Giovanni Malloy; and Wesley and Hannah Pollek.

Bob moved to California in 1977, where favorite activities included leading tours of the exhibits at the NASA Ames Research & Visitor Center and working on job placement for seniors through the National Council on Aging. An independent and egalitarian spirit, Bob steadfastly expressed his belief in justice for all. He was known for his keen intellect, outgoing personality, and witty conversation. He will be remembered with a smile for his endearing style of sprinkling his comments with a multitude of humorous, homemade sayings, among them--?Get ready to cool it!? Bob loved his family and friends, and he was also quick to greet a stranger. He thoroughly enjoyed living at Stevenson House in Palo Alto, where he resided since July 2002 and worked at the front desk from September 2004 to January 2008.

Tags: veteran