Dr. John C. Peters

Dr. John C. Peters, 89, of Lakewood, Colorado, was born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 20, 1931, to Harvey and Beatrice Peters and died in Lakewood on May 1, 2020. He was preceded in death by the love of his life and wife of 59 years, Marietta Peters.

After graduating high school in Detroit, John served in the Coast Guard during the Korean War. Following an honorable discharge, John obtained Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Michigan State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.

After graduate school, John and Marietta moved to Montana where John began his career as a biologist with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Due to his research work and collaboration with others, the Montana State Legislature passed the Stream Protection Act of 1963. The resulting program, which John managed, received national recognition, including an article in The New York Times, and became a model replicated in several other states, including Colorado.

In the late 60’s, John moved to Colorado to earn a doctorate from Colorado State University, Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology. He was then recruited by the Bureau of Reclamation and began work as an environmental specialist. A highlight for John during this time was visiting Australia at the request of the Australian government. There he met with officials throughout the country who were responsible for public works projects to share his expertise and experiences in implementing environmental measures.

Starting in 1986, John began the last phase of his career with the Environmental Protection Agency. He managed a wetland grant program that provides States and Tribes funding for the protection of wetlands. Under John’s leadership, the program had grown annually to over $1,000,000 by the time he retired in 1995.

John’s move westward launched not only an impactful and significant career, but also a lifelong love of the Western United States. He and Marietta traveled throughout the West, including most of the national parks, with repeat visits to many. They both became strong advocates for environmental protection and were great admirers and students of Western Art, history, and culture.

After retirement, John and Marietta were able to travel even more extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and Europe. They were avid collectors of art and their house was adorned with the treasures they had collected in their travels across the globe. They also formed lifelong friendships from their travels.

John was generous in contributing to the community and causes he greatly cared about. He served on the boards of several non-profit organizations. Most notably, he served as Board President of the Thorne Ecological Institute (now known as the Thorne Nature Experience), an environmental education organization that strives to connect youth to nature, where he oversaw the Sombrero Marsh project. Because of his passion and generosity to the Sangre de Cristo Art Center in Pueblo, Colorado, John was elected to be an Honorary Trustee of Distinction to the board in 2016.

Growing up near Lake Michigan and working summer jobs on boats, John was an avid sailor and enjoyed many years sailing in Montana, on Lake Dillon, and out of San Diego. John was also well rounded in his cultural pursuits. John enjoyed the theatre and loved dining in his favorite restaurants, where of course the proprietors and the wait staff always knew him by name.

John will be remembered as a kind, jovial, engaged, and caring person. He always had a joke or a story to tell and everyone who knew him was lucky to have basked in his light, even if for a minute.

A celebration of John’s life will be planned at a future time.