James Rowe Peters PORTLAND – James ‘Jim’ Rowe Peters passed away on August 11, 2024, at the age of 87, after complications from COPD. Jim was a kind, curious, soulful man. He enjoyed a good joke, found peace and inspiration in music, helping others, and joy in antique and performance cars.
Jim was born in Rochester, NY, on Sept. 26, 1936, the son of Ralph and Phoebe Peters. Jim was All-State tackle and guard on his high school football team, and graduated from Princeton University in 1958.
He went on to complete his MBA at the University of Virginia and then worked for Exxon Mobil before becoming VP of a foreign car dealership. After the dealership was sold, Jim worked for Corning Glassworks in market research, development, and sales. While volunteering with the St.
Andrews Youth Group, Jim found his true calling in youth ministry and counseling. Having found his passion, he enrolled at Andover Newton Theological Seminary where he received his Masters in Divinity. He then enrolled in a Doctor of Psychology program at Boston University.
In 1984, while at BU, Jim had a near fatal car accident which changed the course of his life. His stubbornness and desire to begin restoring the antique car he was picking up when he had the accident proved the right recipe to get him walking again after being told he’d likely be confined to a wheelchair. He consequently learned to manage a telephone hotline, developing a training program for phone volunteers, while continuing to volunteer on the St.
Andrews vestry committee. And that ’49 Lincoln he finished restoring was a beauty! Jim moved to Maine in 2019 (with his Lincoln) where he met his many Oceanview friends and truly enjoyed ‘the way life should be’. Jim was predeceased by his dear wife Cindy and his brother Ralph.
He is survived by his son James Peters Jr. (Duangruethai), their children Scott and Sarah, and by his daughter, Elizabeth Olson (Tom) and her son Eric; by his sister-in-law Rita Peters; and by several nieces and nephews. A celebration of life in Jim’s memory will be held at Oceanview Retirement Community in Falmouth, Maine, on Sept.
26 at 3:30 p.m. and at the St.
Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Wellesley, Mass. at a later date. Jim donated to a number of charities.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice, or plant a tree in Jim’s name We invite you to add your comments, and we encourage a thoughtful, open and lively exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . You can also read our FAQs .
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