Fredus Nelson (Pete) Peters, III, 87, received his ultimate reward when he passed from this earth into the waiting arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on May 22, 2020. Born in Evanston, IL on August 3, 1932, he was the son of Fredus Nelson Jr. and Helen (Moulton) Peters. He attained the rank of Captain in the U. S. Army during the Korean War era and served in the Chemical Corp in Nevada and the South Pacific assessing the fallout from nuclear bombs. He was a 1950 graduate of Evanston High School and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering as a Phi Beta Kappa at Princeton University (1954) and later received a Masters Degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Electrical Engineering. He retired from General Electric as Vice President of Engineering after a 36 year career in 1990. As a side job he also formed the Fort Wayne Organ Center and sold and serviced church organs for a number of years.
Pete was a devout Christian, a member of Grace Point Church of the Nazarene and never saw a person he didn’t want to help. He had often said that one of his proudest accomplishments was teaching Sunday School to all ages up to 100 years old (and beyond). He had a variety of interests including; music (especially singing and organ), Ham Radio (W9AY,) electronics and collecting old army insignia and collecting and restoring classic Corvettes, Cadillac/Eldorado’s and Model T’s. In fact, Pete was renowned for escorting newlyweds to their wedding receptions in one of the Eldorados, and he would play the appropriate role by wearing his chauffer cap. In 2017 he received the Conner Prairie Festival Chairman’s Award for Vehicle Presentation. Some of his support included membership in; American Guild of Organists, Cadillac LaSalle Club, Model-T Club International, American Radio Relay League, Phi Beta Kappa and Society, Tau Beta Pi.
Pete was very innovative through his life having helped to develop one of the first electric vehicles in the 1960’s. As a fifth-grader, he fashioned a device that would alert him to an approaching teacher so he could “rest his eyes” in the back of the classroom when the teacher was out of the room. During his later years, to keep himself sharp, he earned a Master Certification through the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) program. While a student at Princeton University he was a banjo player for the Princeton Tiger Paws, who recorded their first (and only) album in 1954, after appearing live on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour. As a freshman at Princeton, he took a calculus class from Professor John Forbes Nash, Jr., who later became the subject matter for the 2001 Hollywood movie, “A Beautiful Mind”.
He was a loving and devoted family man and is survived by his wife, Sally, whom he met on a rifle range in 1949 at age 16 and married on June 25, 1954 and by his children Liz, of Washington, DC, Nelson, IV (Tammy) and, Andy (Mary Jo) of Ft. Wayne. A third son, Scott, preceded him in death in 2018. He is also survived by 3 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, several step-grandchildren step-great grandchildren and family friend, Richard Edwards.
A Celebration of Life and Memorial will be held 11:00 Saturday June 27, 2020 at Grace Point Church of the Nazarene with gathering one hour prior. To view the service via Facebook Live Stream, please visit www.facebook.com/DOMcCombLakeside. Private burial in Concordia Gardens Cemetery. Arrangements by D.O. McComb and Sons 4017 Maplecrest Road Fort Wayne, IN. Memorials may be made to Olivet Nazarene University, V. W. Peters Scholarship Fund. To sign the online guestbook go to www.mccombandsons.com.
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