IRVINGTON—Charles Frederick “Fred” Peters passed away on January 9, 2018, in Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center.
Preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Jane Burkhart Peters, Fred grew up in a small town, Bluefield, W.Va., and went on to earn degrees at Vanderbilt and a Ph.D. from Yale. Perhaps his strong sense of social values came from his upbringing in a coal region where his local church consisted of both family and community.
He worked for 38 years as a civilian scientist in defense and aerospace. Among his historic accomplishments were his work in navigation for the Voyager I and II missions to Jupiter, the Polaris Missile project (Jane was the lead programmer) and the development of GPS (space-based radionavigation/satellites).
He believed in the American dream and hard work and was grateful for the opportunities he had.
He is survived by his three children.
In retirement, he enjoyed making new friends in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and various other activities. He is already missed.
A memorial reception will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, February 1, at Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury, 132 Lancaster Drive, Irvington. All who wish to honor him are welcome to attend.