RIP Nancy Peters (1923-2010)

In your charity, kindly remember the soul of my mother, Nancy Peters, who died this morning in St. Louis after a long illness. Fortified by the sacraments of the Church, mom died in the presence of my dad, her husband of 54 years, Nade, and my two sisters, Linda and Sue.

Mom belonged to the Greatest Generation of Americans, for whom the Great Depression, World War II and Korea (and even Vietnam), the enervating threat of nuclear annihilation, the ecclesiastical turmoil after Vatican II, and the steady erosion of Western values was one long and confusing cross. Only those who experienced it can really understand it, I am sure.

Mom took especial pride in the fact that, as the only one among her siblings even to enter university (lack of funds later sent her home), she saw all five of her kids graduate from college. In this, she led by example as well as by word, taking courses in computer sciences at community college until well into her 70s. Hard to argue with that kind of commitment, and little surprise that now her grandkids are following suit.

Requiescat in pace.