Richard A. Peters, 67, died peacefully while on hospice care at the Lutheran Care Center, Poughkeepsie, after a brief bout with cancer.

Born in New York City, he was the son of Otto W. and Anna Marie Peters of Maspeth, Queens. In 1966, at the age of 16, he graduated from Stuyvesant High School in Man-hattan, and received his B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1970 from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, where he also received a Master’s degree in Transportation Planning and Engineering in 1974.

Rich served in the R.O.T.C. from 1966-1970, receiving the Outstanding Military Graduate Award and rank of 2nd Lieutenant upon graduation. He served in the National Guard Army Corps of Engineers until 1977, earning the rank of 1st Lieutenant.

In October 1975, at the age of 25, Rich earned his Profes-sional Engineer License.

He married his wife of 42 years, Nancy J. Graf, at St. Jacobus Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, in Woodside, Queens. The couple first met each other 50 years ago as teenagers in their church youth group.

Rich worked 43 years for the New York State Department of Transportation, four years in Region 10 (Long Island) and the remainder of the time in Region 8 (Hudson Valley), where he spent 20 years working with local officials, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, the MTA, and state officials to produce working transportation systems for Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, and Columbia counties. In 2013, he retired as Regional Planning and Programming Manager.

His team’s accomplishments include the direct interchange between I-84 and the New York Thruway, the direct con-nection to Stewart Airport from I-84 via State Route 747 at Drury Lane, and the revitalized Beacon-Newburgh Ferry.

He attended monthly, work-related meetings in the North Tower of the former World Trade Center every second Tuesday, except for September 11, 2001, when he decided to skip that morning meeting to attend an afternoon meet-ing elsewhere in NYC.

As a registered Adult Girl Scout, he served 10 years as the “cookie mom” for his daughter’s Girl Scout Troop 182 of the former Dutchess County Girl Scout Council.

Rich was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church, Fish-kill, where he served as an elder, member of the board of trustees, usher, lay reader, substitute Sunday School teach-er, and member of the call committee. For over 20 years, he hosted the congregation’s annual Epiphany Celebration and Ascension Day reception.

He and wife enjoyed traveling, visiting nearly all 50 U.S. states and touring several countries in Europe and South America.

Richard is survived his wife, Nancy Graf Peters, their daughter Elizabeth (Graf Peters) Harris, her husband, Jon Harris, two granddaughters, Ellen and Keira, a sister, Linda Maline, of Maspeth, Queens, six nieces and nephews, nine great nieces and nephews, and three cousins. Predeceasing him is a goddaughter, Donna Stavropoulos.

Calling hours will be held on Sunday, August 6, from 2-6 p.m. at the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., 895 Route 82, Hopewell Junction. The funeral service will be held on Monday, August 7, at 11 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1400 Route 52, Fishkill, with Rev. John M. Young officiating. Burial will be held at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Grand Avenue, Maspeth, Queens.

Memorial donations may be made in Richard’s name to Our Savior Lutheran Church, Fishkill, or to the charity of one’s choice. Please visit Rich’s Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.