William Thomas Peters, Jr., of East Bridgewater, died February 15, 2018 in Hanson, after a long illness. He was 86 years old.
Bill was born in 1932, in Dorchester to William Thomas, Sr. and Catherine Peters, and was the oldest of seven children. At the age of eight, Bill’s family moved to Whitman, where they resided on High Street for many years.
At age eighteen, Bill volunteered for military service and served twenty-four years in the U.S. Army. He retired as a decorated Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4) in 1974. During his years in the Army, Bill specialized in Intelligence and Communications, and served in Korea, Lebanon and Vietnam, where he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for Valor during the Tet Offensive, and had been stationed in Germany, the Philippines and Japan. Bill was most passionate and proud of his military and dedicated years of service. He showcased his pride of Army brotherhood as he partook in countless Veterans parades and military ceremonies. Upon retirement from the U.S. Army, he became a supervisor at the U.S. Post Office in Brockton. He was a 1978 graduate of the University of New Hampshire.
Later in life, Bill volunteered as a reader for the “Talking Information Center” in Marshfield, a broadcast service for the sight impaired in New England.
Bill was an avid reader, lover of spy novels, crossword puzzles, travel, the New England Patriots, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and spending time with his family.
Bill was predeceased by his wife of forty-eight years, Muriel Jean (MacEachron) Peters. He is survived by his daughter Jeanne Walker of Bowie, MD, sons Thomas Peters of Fort Myers, FL and Brewster, MA and Steven Peters of East Bridgewater, and their spouses David Walker, Ron Baird and Patricia Peters. He is also survived by his grandchildren Nicole, Scott, Amanda, David, Ryan, Michael and Kyle, five great grandchildren, his brother George of Detroit Lakes, MN, his sister Cathy Stevens of Braintree and many nieces and nephews.
His funeral service will be held Tuesday February 20 at 10:00 AM in the Blanchard Funeral Chapel, Plymouth Street (Rte.58 @ the rotary) Whitman. His burial, with full Military Honors, will follow in the Central Cemetery, East Bridgewater. Visiting hours will be held Monday February 19 from 4:00-8:00 PM.