GERALD PETERS

Gerald Eugene Peters was born during a snow storm in Fresno, CA, on January 12, 1930, and after almost exactly 88 years, he crossed over into Heaven on Thursday, January 11, 2018. We miss him dearly, but are comforted by knowing that his first heavenly birthday was so much more joyous and peaceful than his last few earthly birthdays have been. Gerald grew up in his beloved Fresno attending elementary school at the lab school on the Fresno State campus, then Hamilton Junior High School, and Fresno High School graduating in 1947. He earned degrees in psychology and chemistry from Fresno State College and Stanford University before going away to medical school at the University of Cincinnati. While in Ohio, he met and married a beautiful, soon-to-be Registered Dietitian from Richmond, VA, Anne Lenzi, in 1960. They raised their three children mostly in Fresno, where Gerald practiced dermatology for 38 years and was an active, charter member of the Fig Garden Rotary Club, and a Paul Harris Fellow. Dad had a pioneering spirit and was a renaissance man in many respects, always enjoyed learning new things, and he highly valued education since that was one thing that "no one can ever take away from you". He taught himself many things that he was interested in, and he had many interests, accolades, and certifications including for marksmanship, flying, scuba diving, ham radio, and two board certifications in medicine for dermatology and dermatopathology. He loved helping his patients and treated them like gold, and considered his office staff as family, most of whom stayed with him for over 30 years. Dad also loved to fish and tie flies, even building fly rods for friends and family. He also enjoyed teaching his children how to garden, train and raise Labrador Retrievers, of which he had many!, backpack in the beautiful Sierras that he loved so much, ride horses, snow ski, shoot bows and arrows, make homemade soap, extract honey from the beehives he kept on our roof, make wine, sourdough bread, bullets, arrows and oil paintings. He did it all with a playful kind of gentle spirit, and our dinner table was joyous, usually humorous, sometimes raucous, and always open for friends who dropped by, which they did often. Dad also cared deeply for others and "gave back" in many ways including regular blood and platelet donation, stitching up finger cuts at a kitchen table, and giving medical consults to friends and strangers alike wherever we happened to be and on anything you wanted to show him. Dad's wonderful soul allowed him to live fully and love others deeply, and he will be sorely missed by those of us fortunate enough to have loved him, and to have been loved by him. Saluti Patooti Dad! Thanks to you we are "finer than frog hair". Gerald was preceded in death by his wife, Anne, of 49 years; and his brother, Walt, of Fresno. He is survived by his three children, Gerald E. Peters Jr. MD and his wife Antonia, Margaret McGinn and her husband Jeff, and John Peters and his wife Andrea; and six grandchildren, Mariah, Madison, Luke, Jake, Nathan, and Elle. Visitation will be held at Stephens & Bean Chapel on Friday, January 26, 2018, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held at Stephens & Bean Chapel on Saturday, January 27, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be at Belmont Memorial Park. A reception will follow the Interment at Stephens & Bean Oak Room. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Fig Garden Rotary Foundation, Permanent Fund, P.O. Box 9234, Fresno, CA 93791; or to Rotary International Annual Education Fund, www.rotary.org/en/donate. Stephens & Bean Chapel, 202 North Teilman Avenue, Fresno, California (559)268-9292