Mr. Peters was a bright happy-go-lucky man with a heart of gold and a friendly soul. I may not have had him as a teacher, but I always passed by his class and he would be there with a warm and friendly “hello!” I will miss him for sure. If only I had the chance to say hello and goodbye to him one last time. Great man, very great man. Even though he won’t be with us personally, we have to know that he’s always going to still be with us, spiritually. So long, Mr. Peters! Aireoidh muid uainn thú! (Irish for “We will miss you!”)
Freshman, going on sophomore, Daniel Karpierz. House: Dublin
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Bob was a great overall human being. He always had everyone’s best interest at heart. I will miss him greatly especially at Wednesday morning mass. Rest in Peace.
Fr. Mark Walter
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On any given morning Bob could be found in the faculty lounge energetically bantering about whatever the topic of the day happened to be. Bob always found a way to turn this conversation to your family or to the students in your classes; that was Bob’s style, always concerned and interested in how you were doing. These morning encounters, while filling my coffee mug, are what I will miss the most. “To teach is to touch a life forever.” Bob, you certainly “taught”. The lives of each of us and every student who has interacted with you, have been touched by you, and are better because of you. You will be missed – rest peacefully, friend.
Mr. Derek Van Dyke
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Thanks, Bob, for the spirit that you brought to Br. Rice. You were enjoyable to work with; I’ll miss you. Rest in Peace!
Mr. Al Albanese
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Rest In Peace, Don Roberto! I will cherish memories of a dear colleague, mentor, and friend who greeted everyone at our school with a warm smile and a cheerful hello! I will miss hearing you say “Hola, Doña Marta” each time we met in the school hallways. Peters family, you will be in my thoughts and prayers! May you feel love and comfort from all those whose lives were touched by a truly amazing human! Bob, until we meet again, please watch over all of us from heaven!
Mrs. Marta Carbol
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I will miss you, Bob Peters, my VP, my GM, my co-lector, my colleague, my lunch buddy, my friend.
In my last email exchange with Bob, he said, “please pray for my father-in-law Tom Kurow.” In my last text conversation with Bob, he voiced concern about the Brother Rice faculty. The last time I visited Brother Rice and Bob’s classroom, he talked about his concerns for his students and their success as well as his pride in his sons. On our last work day at school, Bob stayed after the faculty retreat to help me disassemble the buzzer system. All of these moments offer a quick snapshot of Bob’s perpetual concern for others. He truly put others first every time I talked to him. At the lunch table, he made room for others. In the hallways, he encouraged others and helped them to start their day. Most days when I arrived at school, I walked to Bob’s corner to head upstairs to my classroom. I would call out, “good morning Mr. Peters,” and Bob would respond “have a great day, Mrs. England.” His infectious and ever-present smile brought a smile to my face and still does now. Although I will miss him sorely every single day, I hope I can keep him alive in my heart forever by simply recalling that wonderful concern for others and that infectious smile. “Who invaded Spain in the 8th century?” The Moops! Who invaded my heart? Bob Peters!
Your friend, Mrs. Michelle England
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We are accountants, we are never done.
Bill O’Connell ’20
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Bob was a true Crusader. He was a great man and educator. I always admired Bob’s energy and passion to make a positive change in his kids’ lives. He challenged his students to meet their potential in a way that not many of us can replicate. His smile and positive attitude were so contagious. You could not help but smile every time you would see Bob.
Mr. Peters, thank you for joining the BR family and making a difference in so many lives.
Mr. Matt Kelly
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Bob was the model of everything that is right in this world. He lived each day with his love for his family as first and foremost. He made a difference in the life of everyone he met. Bob’s love for his students was undeniable; he taught them that success is possible with goals, hard work and dedication. He also taught them that any worthwhile accomplishment should not be given to you; you should work for it.
Bob’s smile was contagious. It would brighten everyone’s day. I know it did mine. Every time Bob saw me, he would raise his fists in the air and say, “Yeah, Mrs. Diehl.” Well Bob, I’m doing the same for you now, “Yeah Bob, you truly are the best.”
I will miss you, always.
Trivia Question – Which Moop made this world a better place for just being in it?
Mrs. Darlene Diehl
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Upon my very first time walking into my new office, the first person I ever had the privilege of meeting was Bob. He was sitting at my future desk, getting my computer set up and ready to go for my first day. With his signature friendly demeanor, he turned, smiled, and gave me a truly genuine, warm welcome to Brother Rice. That absolutely set the tone for all of my future interactions with him as they were never anything but genuine, warm, and welcoming. His humor, sincere care for his students, and ability to connect with anyone he spoke with are traits that I have always admired and will certainly miss. Bob’s impact on adults and students alike speak volumes about the awesome person he was and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know him.
Ms. Angie Rundh
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I had the pleasure of meeting Bob 25 years ago as we were fellow coaches in the Palos Youth Baseball organization. He was a big Mt. Carmel guy at the time so we had an easy time striking up a conversation. Those conversations were always pleasant and I would always walk away thinking to myself, what a nice person Bob was. As time went on, I started to realize what a uniquely special man Bob Peters was. He was a great family man. Kids, including mine, all loved him. He was always sincere, always kind and was a true gentleman. We should all aspire to be more like him. I know that I will do my best to follow his great legacy of simply being a good man.
Mr. Mike Zunica
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I met Bob two years ago when I started at Brother Rice. It seemed like I knew him for fifty-two years. He was that kind of guy! For Bob: “65 Toss Power Trap”
Mr. Tim McAlpin
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Every day I went to the teachers’ lounge for 5th period lunch, I could count on Bob Peters to offer a big smile and a “Hey, Beck” when I sat down to join the group. Bob was always in the middle of the lunchroom banter, whether it was political conversations with Mr. Dolan, a sports trivia discussion with Mr. McAlpin, “guess that tune” with Mr. Klutcharch, or anything controversial to rile up Mr. McAuliffe. I loved the smiles and laughs that happened during that time of the school day, and Bob was a big reason for that. I will miss you, “King of the Moops”! You were a good man, a great teacher and example to our Crusaders, and a dear friend. God bless you and yours always.
Ms. Becky Pacetti
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Mr. Peters was undoubtedly one of my favorite teachers at Brother Rice. Before I knew Mr. Peters, I would walk by his classroom on my way to another class and I would hear him play classic rock on his computer. Kids who knew him would shout out “MR. PETERS” in the hallway as they passed by. This is when I knew I wanted to take his classes. I took Mr. Peters’s accounting class junior year and his business entrepreneurship class senior year. These were some of my favorite classes at Rice. The material learned in these classes wasn’t always that exciting, but Mr. Peters made it fun. Mr. Peters will truly be missed by all who knew him. R.I.P.
Connor Leibforth ‘20
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No matter how bad I was feeling, Bob could always bring a smile to my face by telling me he had to go and pick up lunch meat from the deli at Marianos. Anyone who knew Bob knows how he both loved and despised the deli counter. R.I.P., old friend; I’m gonna miss you always.
Mr. Steve Parker
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I had the privilege to call Big Bob Peters a good friend. He was a teacher’s teacher, always putting everyone else first. Bob’s energy and passion was inspiration for all. Thanks, Big Bob, for everything.
Mr. Tim Lyons
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Don and I were running errands on a Saturday morning. Down an aisle at the Target, we saw someone in full maroon and orange. While this is a common enough sight on the southside, we knew the approaching Crusader was Bob because of his full and bright smile and hearty “Hey guys!” He’d been at a baseball game and though we can’t recall if our teams were victorious that day, we do and shall remember our friend.
Ms. Eve Donnelly
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Mr. Peters was a great man who always wanted the best for his students in the classroom and in life. He went above and beyond in every possible way to be the best educator and role model for his students. He went out of his way to introduce himself to me when I was a freshman because my locker was close to him, and he said hello to me every day since then and continued to do so through my 8th period class with him senior year. He left a lasting impact on the BR community and me. You were a great man in this world full of people that didn’t deserve you. You will always live in the heart of Brother Rice. Rest easy, Mr. Peters.
Jack Eastman ‘20
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Mr. Peters was a true Crusader. His love and passion for Brother Rice was truly amazing. I wasn’t fortunate enough to have Mr. Peters as a teacher but that never stopped him from going out of his way to chat with me. Walking by his class to a friendly “How are you?” was the highlight of my day. He will be dearly missed, but his legacy of kindness, generosity, and positivity will live on forever.
Kevin Phelan ’20
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Bob’s relentless dedication to his students and the BR community will never be forgotten. I will take with me the sound of his boisterous laughter and genuinely positive character outside the hallways of Brother Rice. He will truly be missed by all!
Mrs. Sam Antos
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From the interview to the hiring, from the Cainkar Center to room 113 (I remember how disappointed you were, but thanked me immensely later because you loved the room), to all of our summer bonding and hard work with you, Steve, Alison and me, to 3rd period every day during this last school year — we were a team! I miss you so much already, my good friend!! You were awesome!!! You’ll never be forgotten!
Ms. Sandra Jones
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Bob was such an asset to our school and will be truly missed by all of us. I will always remember his smile, laughter and our conversations. He made everyone feel important and he was not only a colleague, but a friend. He cared deeply about each one of his students and he led by example, earning the utmost respect in his classroom. Brother Rice was fortunate to have him as part of our family and he will forever be in our hearts. Rest in peace, Bob; you will never be forgotten.
Mrs. Mary Beth Jantz
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Though I have never had Mr. Peters as a teacher, he has helped me big time. When I was a proctor for the entrance exam a few years back, I was swamped with 40 kids to supervise. I was not controlling the situation well, but Mr. Peters noticed the problem and came in to help me. The library went from a hurricane to peaceful waters. Mr. Peters had the gift to get the point across to a young man while avoiding being seen as the “bad guy.” I admire his devotion to Brother Rice and I hope I make at least a fraction of an impact compared to Mr. Peters.
Kevin O’Shea ‘20
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Besides our usual talks about classic rock, quoting Seinfeld, or popping in at random during classes just to rib each other, one of the things I am going to miss most will be Bob and my daily “races” to school. Bob and I always got to Rice very, very early and took the same route to school. We always made it a competition to try to beat each other to school first. It got to the point of such hilarity that we got to know the headlights of each other’s cars beaming through the wee morning hours, and we would often say to each other, “Man, I saw you coming up on me down Pulaski so I had to step on it or I was gonna lose this one.” As was Bob’s natural charisma and joking manner, we would make fun of each other whether we won or lost the race for the day.
Mr. Kyle Swynenburg
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I’ve never had Mr. Peters as a teacher, but we had a bond that would last forever. Every day I would walk past his classroom on the way to my next class, and Mr. Peters always stopped doing what he was doing to say hello and ask me how I was doing. He is genuinely a man of Edmund Rice. He has touched so many people and helped guide them to success in the classroom and in life. He will dearly be missed.
Rest easy, Mr. Peters.
Kevin Plumb ‘20
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People always say if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.
Mr. Peters loved what he did.
Every single day, Mr. Peters buttoned up his shirt and tied his tie, not because he wanted to look nice, but because he wanted to set an example for students to understand discipline. He did that for his students.
A common knock against the educational systems in America is that they lack certain courses that teach young kids about life and beyond. Mr. Peters took young kids and molded them into young men. Mr. Peters demanded that students respected him and all of his colleagues. He was allowed to demand this of us because he gave us that same level of respect.
Mr. Peters was full of life. I can assume with pure confidence that the most energetic spot of all passing periods was outside of Mr. Peters’ room. He greeted everybody, and I mean everybody. I had known Mr. Peters a little prior to entering high school, but I had never really spoken to him. I always knew who he was because he was the guy with the goatee busting his butt for the Palos Baseball Organization so that kids were able to make the most out of their time on the field. He was always looking to make the lives of people around him better. My first day of freshman year, I was walking to my new locker, which just so happened to be in the same hallway as his room. He saw me walk by and walked over and met me at my locker. He shook my hand, looked me in the eye and told me if I ever needed anything to come find him in his room.
He meant it.
For the next four years, I don’t think a single day went by without one of us shouting at each other in the hallway. That alone inspired me to take one of his classes. He attacked every class period with the intent of teaching us something new. That probably sounds super simple, but with Mr. Peters, it wasn’t.
It only made sense for me to ask him to write my letter of recommendation for college. I knew that he would put everything he had into that letter. I never read it, nor do I ever need to. I know he wrote that letter with his whole heart and that was all I needed.
Mr. Peters was an inspiration to me and many others. What he taught his students went far beyond the walls of a classroom. Mr. Peters taught his students how to become men. He taught his students that in order to be respected, you must first be able to give respect.
Thank you, Mr. Peters.
Your passion inspired us all.
Conor Glennon ‘20
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Bob and I were both second career business teachers from Trinity Christian and he opened up his classroom to me when I was first getting started. I did observation hours with him. He immediately gave me his cell phone number and told me to call him anytime. I took him up on that offer many times. He could not have been more helpful.
When I got some last minute teaching assignments at Rice, Bob was among the first ones to offer his assistance to me, especially in teaching Microsoft Word. He talked me off the ledge more than once. I will miss him.
Mr. Don Duffy
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My closest experience with Bob was his innovative spirit and hard work in developing the class for entrepreneurship into the most popular elective. He put his all on the line to make that work. What I admire the most is how he has become so lovable and likeable to so many students and faculty. My heart goes out to all who knew him best. What a painful loss and shock!
Mr. Jim Casey
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Ever since the engineering program and entrepreneurship did a joint project, Mr. Peters always greeted me every day and asked how football and wrestling was. He truly was a great part of BR and will be dearly missed.
Jack Botta ‘21
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I had the pleasure of working next door to Bob these past years. I will fondly remember his booming “Good Morning” to his students. I trust it was ingrained from his days with the dear nuns at St. Christina Grammar School. The students would mumble back their responses and Bob was not satisfied until he received a boisterous, unified “Good Morning” in return. Bob brought passion and energy to his classroom and his students are the better for it. Bob was a true gentleman and I’m glad to have called him my friend.
RIP Bob; the seeds of knowledge and the example you set will live on in our young Crusaders.
Mrs. Sue Salmon
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To think one of the hardest working and most caring persons I’ll ever know is gone is surreal. Having Mr. Peters these last two years in Accounting and then Business Entrepreneurship are times I will never forget. I struggled in his class junior year, but he always saw the strong things in me and led me to not only succeed in the classroom, but he also allowed me to see how I could succeed in the business world. More than anything, though, I’ll miss our little real world lessons he’d give in class and walking past that same hallway 2-3 times a day, only to hear Mr. Peters signature loud, drawn-out “Jimmy Littleton” which is the only name he ever called me. Mr. Peters is the epitome of a Crusader and will forever be a role model to not only me, but everyone who knew him!
Rest in Peace, Bobby Business; you will always be remembered.
James Littleton ‘20
