Captain William A. Peters, SC,USN(Ret.), died peacefully in Newport Hospital (Rhode Island) on Sunday, 18 May 2008, in the presence of his loving family.“Bill” was born in Queens, NY, in 1931, and attended schools in NYC prior to the Naval Academy.

He married Betty Ann Williamson in Washington, DC, the day after graduating with the Class of 1956, and reported to the Navy Supply Officers’ School in Athens, GA. Sea duty followed as supply officer in SEVERN (AO-61) and JOSEPH P. KENNEDY (DD-850), before shore duty at the Supply Center in Newport, RI. He was a plankowner in ENTERPRISE(CVN-65), which was commissioned in 1961, before reporting to the Navy Exchange at Quonset Point, RI. More sea duty followed in PROCYON (AF-61) with four deployments to the South China Sea/Vietnam delivering stores to Seventh Fleet ships in combat operations. Bill earned a master’s degree in computer systems management at the Naval Postgraduate School, thence to the Naval Supply Center in Norfolk, VA, before joining the faculty of the Naval War College when Vice Admiral Stansfield Turner was revamping the curriculum; and was a professor of systems analysis and analytical decision-making for over three years (several Classmates were his students during this period). He went back to sea as supply officer of CORAL SEA (CV-43), and then ashore as director of Navy Commissary stores and vice commander of Navy Resale System. His final Navy tour was as commanding officer of Fleet Accounting and Disbursing Office, Atlantic Fleet. Bill’s naval career is described best as genuine“ Service to the Fleet.”

In his retirement, Bill was classic woodworker, gardener and tinkerer; delighting in resurrecting things most thought were beyond help. He was the wise patriarch of his beloved family, with a legacy of great generosity. In addition to Betty Ann, Bill leaves his daughters, Laura, Leslie Mowery and Kathleen Browne; sons, Kevin and Michael; brothers, Robert, Joseph and Richard; ten grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. A funeral Mass was celebrated at Jesus Savior Catholic Church in Newport, RI, on 22 May 2008, with interment at St. Columba Cemetery in Middletown, RI. “What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” —Helen Keller Howard Burdick ’56 & The Peters Family