Wallace Edward Peters, Jr.
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Wallace Edward "Pete" Peters, Jr., age 95, of South Charleston, departed this life at dawn, Sunday, August 8, 2021, at Charleston's Oakridge Center.
Pete was born January 5, 1926, in Wichita, Kansas, to Wallace Edward and Loretta Buckridge Peters. At age 18, Pete joined the Army as an aviation cadet and was later commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces. He trained as a navigator and bombardier in the B-25 Mitchell bomber. World War II ended before Pete was deployed overseas, but he stayed in the Army and retrained as a meteorologist, transferring into the new United States Air Force in 1947. In 1946 he met and married his first wife, Nancy Kathryn Sawyer of Kingwood, West Virginia. Their only daughter, Karen Lee, was born in 1950. That same year the Korean War began and Pete was deployed to Korea to command a weather forecasting squadron. After the war the family settled near Charleston, where he transitioned to the West Virginia Air National Guard. He commanded the 167th Weather Flight at Charleston's McLaughlin Air National Guard Base until retiring as a colonel.
During his years in the Charleston area Pete worked as a detailing engineer in the mining and steel construction businesses. In his leisure hours he was an avid golfer and played golf courses all over the world, his favorite being Ballybunion in County Kerry, Ireland. He was also an accomplished tenor and sang for many years as a member of the Kanawha Kordsmen, Charleston's award-winning barbershop group. He also sang with the United Disciples of Christ church choir, particularly at Christmas.
Pete was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, and his sisters, Billie (Burton) Latimer of Maryland, and Barbara (Jack) Bird of The Woodlands, Texas.
He is survived by his wife, the former Judith A. Hoffman of Belle, daughter Karen (Joseph) Price of Fairfield, Virginia; and many nieces and nephews.
A service to honor Pete will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, August 16, 2021, at Snodgrass Funeral Home, 4122 MacCorkle Ave, SW, South Charleston. Pastor Rosetta Smith of the United Disciples of Christ Church will officiate. The family will receive friends beginning at 10:00 am. Military honors by the U.S. Air Force and the Veterans of Foreign Wars will follow at Cunningham Memorial Park, St. Albans.
The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the United Disciples of Christ Church, 100 United Disciples Drive, South Charleston, WV 25309; www.uniteddisciples.org.
Friends may share condolences at our website www.snodgrassfuneral.com.
Snodgrass Funeral Home is assisting the family with these arrangements.