Randy Wilbert Peters

1947 - 2024

Randy Wilbert Peters

Sept. 20, 1947 - April 22, 2024

MIDDLETON - We have lost a good man to a horrible disease. Randy Peters, of purposeful action with a peaceful heart, passed away at All Saints Memory Care in Madison on April 22, 2024.

He is survived by his wife, Pat; son, Robert and his wife Kasi, and children: Lucas and Felicity in Culver City, CA; son, Jacob and his wife Sarah, and children: Samuel and Timothy in Madison; all of whom loved and admired him and carry on his love of music, adventure, dance, curiosity, and immense kindness. He is further survived by a brother, Tom Peters and wife Cora in New Berlin; a sister-in-law, Pam and husband Will Heritage in Evansville; and AFS family Lina and Michel Plasse in Sete, France.

Randy was preceded in death by his parents, Lucille and Ed Peters; and Pat's parents, Marion and Bob Erstad.

Born September 20, 1947, Randy was raised in Milwaukee, and graduated from Rufus King High School as Valedictorian and continued his education at UW Madison, earning a Bachelor's degree in Physics and a Master's degree in Business Administration. He was a lifelong Badger fan and season ticket holder at Camp Randall, taking three (victorious!) trips to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

He first worked as an engineer at Ray-O-Vac in Madison, where he was awarded US patents 3749605 and 3880672 for the first digital watch battery, and later joined his father-in-law's insurance business in Evansville which evolved into a career in financial planning and advising. Randy and Pat Erstad met when they both worked at the snack shop in Sellery Hall, and they were married in August 1969, treasuring all of the nearly 55 years they spent together. Their marriage was blessed with two sons, Rob and Jake.

Randy cherished his role as father and grandfather and was always so proud of his sons and their own roles as fathers as well as his two daughters-in-law and four grandchildren. He found an outward expression of family roots in the Erstad family homestead farm in North Dakota, where he spent time every summer nurturing both the physical buildings and the ethereal concepts of family and love.

Randy was always very intentional about finding and knowing his place in the world. On the bookmark of his trusty Franklin Planner he noted "What Matters Most" as "Create memories" and "Never stop exploring." He strove not to be perfect, but to be his "best self" - including his physical self as an exercise and gym enthusiast, becoming a black belt and instructor in Tae Kwon Do, and studying Tai Chi for his later decades; including his mental self with an intense interest in history, bringing history books along while traveling in Europe to retrace the World War II footsteps of his father and others, always questioning how the world came to be how it is today, and always a voracious reader eager to take on challenging books; and including his spiritual self, as a student of meditation and the Eastern philosophies that attended his martial arts studies.

Randy delighted in the beauty of both the natural world - from majestic views during backcountry adventures and world travels, to the birds and other wildlife he encountered at his Middleton condo and in frequent walks with Pat in the nearby conservancy - and the human arts, with an eclectic love of music and dancing that was on display whenever the right beat made the hair stand up on his arms or got his knees bouncing.

We are lucky that Randy was generous, though not overbearing, in sharing his accumulated wisdom. He guided and led Boy Scouts through numerous summer camps and canoe and high adventure trips, including coaching hundreds of scouts to complete the Mile Swim activity when they had thought it impossible, and mentoring 49 scouts to achieve their Eagle rank. He was known in his workplace for helping newcomers find their path towards a successful and ethical career. He collected quotes and snippets from books and articles as well as his own reflections into a printed document that he titled "Randy's Section Six" and shared with close family.

Randy often spoke of living the golden years not knowing what challenges might be ahead, and so he lived in the moment, traveled the world when he was young and healthy, and left no bucket list other than his desire to watch the grandchildren grow up. But the disease of dementia hit hard, starting about ten years ago when Randy himself noticed that he wasn't able to do what he had always done. His true intrinsic self continued to shine through, appreciating life and expressing love in any way he was able - focusing on physical activity with Tai Chi classes, completing jigsaw puzzles, and always having a tender kiss ready for Pat.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at the Ward-Hurtley Funeral Home in Evansville, WI, with visitation at 10:00 a.m. and a service to follow at 12:00 Noon.

Those who wish to honor Randy are encouraged to donate to Alzheimer's research, Agrace hospice, Evansville Scout Troop 514, or the Pheasant Branch Conservancy.

Randy's family has tremendous gratitude for all of the staff at All Saints Memory Care and Agrace Hospice and Adult Day Care Center. They treated Randy like family.