William (Bill) Andrew Peters, age 98, passed away suddenly October 9 at Fletcher Allen Hospital after a massive stroke. He was born on the family farm in Bradford, Vermont, on September 30, 1914. During his childhood, his grandfather, Andrew W. Peters, and his father, J. Edward Peters, raised the Peters line of Morgan horses, direct descendants of the original Justin Morgan horse. Bills memories of farm life included traveling by cart behind one of the tireless Morgans up to the Northeast Kingdom for trout fishing and driving the cows to summer pasture many miles from the farmhouse. After graduating from Bradford Academy in 1930, he earned a degree in agricultural sciences from UVM and headed to a teaching position at Vergennes High School in 1934. While at UVM he met his future wife Pauline (Polly) Hunt Peters, who passed away in May 2011. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on April 5, 2011. Bill spent six years in Vergennes, where Polly also taught. In 1941, after their marriage, he and Polly moved to his beloved Upper Valley and teaching posts at Thetford Academy. Beyond his skills in agriculture, Bill ran the shop and coached the baseball and basketball teams for almost three decades until his retirement in 1967. The athletic field there is named after him. All his life Bill loved the outdoors. Fishing and gardening were particular passions. After his retirement, he and Polly spent winters in Florida, first Venice, then Zellwood Station, and summers in Vergennes and at their cottage on Lake Champlain. Wherever he lived fresh vegetables and flowers flourished. He was also an expert pruner. For several years in his 70s he shaped the shrubs at Basin Harbor Club. Like his wife, Polly, he was a devotee of bridge, and played his last hands a day before he died. In Vergennes he was a Rotarian for many years. His wry Vermont sense of humor and gentle heart will be profoundly missed by his family: son Ted Peters and his wife, Judy, of Thetford, Vermont, and daughter, Jeanne, of Ferrisburgh, where he lived since 2006 keeping watch over life at the lake; his grandchildren --- Cheryl Lynne Peters of Randolph, Vermont, Penny and her husband Russ Aceto of Fairfax, Vermont, Mary Lou and her husband Scott Jones of Westbrook, Connecticut, and Charles Peters and his wife, Denise, of Thetford ; and his great-grandchildren---Trevor and Connor Jones and KayleighAceto. The family would like to acknowledge the caring and concern of the staff at Project Independence, where Bill enjoyed pool and bingo on Monday and Thursday afternoons. Special thanks go tocaregivers Patti Fitzsimmons and Ella Hoague, who helped keep Bill laughing, well fed (oh those mashed potatoes and blueberry pancakes!), and engrossed in jigsaw puzzles through the last year and a half of his life. A memorial service will be held at Vergennes Congregational Church, 30 South Water Street, on Saturday, October 20, at 11:00 a.m. Rev.Gary Lewis will preside, with music from Jeannes fellow choir members and Julia Blocksma, organist. The service will be followed by a luncheon reception in the Churchs Fellowship Hall, where Bills life will be celebrated in photographs. Arrangements are under the direction of Sanderson Funeral Service. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to Elderly Services, 112 Exchange Street, Middlebury, Vermont 05753.