Avis Irene Fisher Peters' Obituary
Avis Irene Fisher Peters was born April 24, 1921 in Dunbar, West Virginia and raised there, graduating from Dunbar High School in 1938. She passed to her reward November 21, 2015 in Gainesville, Florida.
She is preceded in death by her husbands, Charles H. (Pete) Peters, Sr. and Alfred Killing; her parents, Elmer Orva Fisher and Lenora Amelia Miller Fisher and her sister Mary Anne Fisher Gaff.
She is survived by her son, Charles (CH) Peters, Jr., his wife Liza Peters and his first wife Connie Geske Peters; grandsons, Christopher D. Peters (Deb) from Hartford, South Dakota and Geoffrey A. Peters from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Matthew Pritchett (Wendy), Jacksonville, FL; granddaughter, Elizabeth Peters from Jacksonville, FL, and seven great grandchildren; her sister, Eloise Lutz of Gainesville, Florida, and brother Elmer Orva Fisher, Jr. (Gloria) of Yorktown, Virginia, and many nieces and nephews.
Avis was a devoted Mother and Grandmother, she relished her family’s achievements. One of her proudest moments was when Christopher’s wife Deb became the State Senator for South Dakota. She kept a stack of Deb’s business cards in her purse, and would share them with anyone asking how her family was doing. She made every graduation for her son and grandsons, both high school and college, and would travel to visit them whenever she could. As with her grandsons, her granddaughter was a joy, they enjoyed doing tea parties when she was younger, and she would attend any concert Elizabeth was singing in.
Family gatherings were a must, she need to see how everyone had grown, and loved the reunions where all the families would get together at Elmer’s home in Yorktown, VA, in Dunbar with the Fisher and Miller clans, or at Canaan Valley, W.V. She was an ardent traveler, spending many weeks with husbands and later friends traveling the world. She loved the change of seasons, especially the fall color in West Virginia.
Avis was a retired teacher in the Kanawha County, WV, Atlanta, GA, and a teacher and Principal in the Broward County schools in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. from 1954 until 1982. Her students were her pride and joy, often saying, “They are our future!” It became apparent over the years that this love and appreciation was returned. She was one of the few female principals during the 1960’s and 1970’s and earned her place in the Who’s Who of female professionals throughout the Country. She graduated with a degree in history and sociology from Morris Harvey College (University of Charleston, WV), and a Master of Education from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL- Go Gators. She was a member of Eastern Star and the Red Hats Society. Her passion was not football or any of the other major sports but rather volleyball and gymnastics. She will be missed by many but greeted by many more.
A Memorial Service will be held Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. at WILLIAMS-THOMAS FUNERAL HOME DOWNTOWN CHAPEL, 404 N MAIN ST., with Dr. Dan Johnson officiating. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make memorials to The American Heart Association, 3324 W. University Avenue, #128 Gainesville, FL 32607, or the Alzheimer’s Association, 378 Center Pointe Cir #1280, Alamonte Springs, FL 32701.
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