John James Peters was born in Yonkers, NY on January 3, 1926 to Archibald William Peters and Marie Dora Pfister. He had two brothers, Archibald and Francis. John graduated from Roosevelt High School and it was there that he met Teresa Marie Godfrey. After high school, John joined the United States Army Air Forces, where he served from 1944-1946. John and Terry married on August 16, 1947 in Crestwood, NY. They went on to have three children, John Godfrey, Thomas Robert (deceased), and Teresa Ann.
John started his career in banking at First National City Bank while attending New York University. In 1959, he graduated from the School of Consumer Banking at the University of Virginia. After 18 years in New York, John moved his family to Grosse Pointe, MI to work for Detroit Bank and Trust. In 1967, John received a pivotal call from American Express to return to the New York area. At American Express, John held several positions in their International Banking Division, including Senior Vice President, where he reported directly to the Chairman of the Board.
It was John’s final role overseeing military banking that allowed John and Terry the opportunities to travel abroad to places such as London, Paris, Rome, and Athens, along with parts of the Far East and Scandinavia. On each trip together, John and Terry always enjoyed the comforts of flying first class.
John and Terry also made time to travel privately, including a cross-country train ride to the West Coast on the Silver Bullet to see the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park. After John’s retirement in 1982 at the age of 55, he and Terry continued to travel. They enjoyed special memories of crossing, “the pond,” on the Queen Elizabeth 2, along with other cruises, including ones to the Caribbean and Nova Scotia.
Together, John and Terry lived in Yonkers and Hawthorne, NY, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, and Short Hills and Cranbury, NJ, before retiring to Hampstead, NC, where John developed his love for golfing. In November of 1999, they found their way to The Villages, FL for their “second retirement.” Over the years, John enjoyed making things by hand, including a wooden Santa Claus that the Peters family continues to display each year. He also loved to listen to his Harry Belafonte and Neil Diamond tapes, but more than anything, John was well known for entertaining friends and family with his colorful stories, great sense of humor, and sharp wit.
In their later years, Terry developed Alzheimer’s which prompted their move into The Village of Homewood at Freedom Pointe, where he became affectionately known as, “The Mayor of Homewood.” During this time, John became a dedicated and compassionate caregiver. Each morning, he would make a special trip to the Homewood kitchen to retrieve Terry’s breakfast. In January 2010, John lost his wife of 62 years.
John is survived by his son, John G. Peters, Delray Beach, FL, his daughter, Teresa A. Peters, The Villages, FL, and his loving grandchildren, James R. Peters and his wife, Lori Grant-Peters, Christopher J. Peters, and his wife, Jessica Novak, Bryan A. Garruto, and his wife, Alison, Jennifer L. Fletcher, and her husband, Matthew, and Craig M. Peters, and his wife Dena. He also leaves behind seven great-grandchildren, James’s stepdaughter, Erinn, and son, Timothy James; Christopher’s son, Anderson; Bryan’s daughters, Emerson and Elise; and Jennifer’s daughter, Josephine, and son, Luke.
Information at Hiers-Baxley.com