Peter Caverno Myers Jr.

Peter Caverno Myers, Jr. passed away on February 20, 2017 at the age of 59 at his home in Gun Barrel City, Texas. Peter was born December 17, 1957 in St. Louis, Missouri to parents Mary Williamson Myers and the late Peter C. Myers, Sr. (Sikeston, MO). Peter is survived by his sister Gretchen Maloyed, her husband Jonathan, and their two children John Ross and Emma Marie (Matthews, MO), as well as his brother Jon E. Myers (Catron, MO), nine additional nieces and nephews, and nine great nieces and nephews. Peter is also survived by his extended family: Perri Lampe (Prairie Village, KS) and her daughter, Duri Lampe Long (Atlanta, GA), his many close friends, and his beloved dog, Choctaw.

Throughout his life, Peter always said that he wanted to be five things: a farmer, a lawyer, a preacher, a teacher, and a playwright. Peter achieved all five of these goals, starting in his childhood on the farm in Matthews, Missouri, where Peter helped raise hogs and cattle as well as grow cotton, soybeans, alfalfa, corn, wheat, and grain sorghum. Peter was in 4-H, had a Champion County Fair steer, and won state in Dog Care and Conservation.

In 1980, Peter graduated with a BA in English and Political Science from Westminster College in Fulton, MO, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity. Peter remained supportive of Westminster throughout his life.

After college, Peter achieved his second goal of becoming a lawyer, receiving his Juris Doctor Summa Cum Laude in 1983 from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He was editor of the Missouri Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif. Peter has been an active member of the Texas Bar since 1989, practicing law with a Federal Judge (Sikeston, MO), as a partner in a private law firm, and for AT&T, Halliburton, and Xerox.

Peter fulfilled his goal of becoming a playwright, writing a play (The Hand of God) that was performed at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival in August of 2008. Peter also served as a chairman of his Disciples of Christ local church and had his preacher’s license.

Peter quit the practice of law after 25 years in 2004 and began his final career as a teacher by returning to SMU to earn his teaching credentials. He started teaching English and taught in the law academy at Creekview High School (Carrolton, Texas) from 2007 to 2016. Mr. Myers led the Creekview High School Mock Trial Team to Texas State Championships in 2013, 2014, and 2016. In the words of the Empire Mock Trial Organization, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that Empire Mock Trial mourns the loss of long-time educator Peter Myers. A staple at Empire, Mr. Myers was unexpectedly taken from us, devastating hundreds of students whose lives he touched during his decade of teaching.” Peter started teaching at Crandall High School in August 2016.

Funeral services will be at 10:00AM on Saturday, March 11th at Central Christian Church at 4711 Westside Drive, Dallas, Texas; with a reception following at the church. Peter will be laid to rest in a private ceremony at Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park next to his longtime partner, Joel R. Hansen (2006).

Memorial donations can be made to Creekview Mock Trial team to attend future Empire Mock Trial events, which educate students on the law and citizenship. These contributions can be mailed to 3965 W. 83rd St. Box 178, Prairie Village, KS 66208 or you can bring your contribution to the service on March 11th. Make checks payable to Peter Myers Memorial Fund.

In the words of one of Peter’s students, “There is not a student that Peter Myers encountered that did not feel his love for them and his love for the profession of teaching. None of us could ever have gotten as far as we have in life without him. It might be tough for many of us to continue without him, but we are his legacy, and he taught us an invaluable lesson: ‘Never, never, never give up.’”