John Love Peters

John Love Peters, 79, of Knoxville, Tennessee passed away peacefully in his home on Saturday, February 20, 2016, surrounded by family members and with his beloved Mugs at the foot of his bed. Born April 27, 1936 in Knoxville, he was the only child of the late William Howard Peters and Doris Tate Peters. John spent his entire childhood in Knoxville; he attended the Bearden Schools from elementary to high school, where his mother taught for 35 years. John graduated from Bearden High School in 1954, from there he attended the University of Tennessee and earned a BS in Marketing and graduated in 1958. While attending UT, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and lettered on the Vols golf team. He remained a proud alumnus and supporter of all UT sports. From there he began a lifelong passion and pursuance for golf both professionally and personally. John had a short career in the marketing world as the assistant toy buyer at Rich’s Department Store in Atlanta, Georgia. After his tenure at Rich’s he was able to begin his career in sales in the golf industry. His career then moved him back to Knoxville where he briefly worked for Dunlop for 3 years. John then took a position at Titleist in Jacksonville, Florida where he worked for the next 15 years as the lead sales rep for Florida. After a brief stint outside of the golfing industry, John returned as a manufacturer’s rep for Browning and Gean Edwards in the state of Florida. Eventually, he and Averil opened their own golf shops in Naples and Port Charlotte, Florida. In 1997, he returned to his childhood home in Knoxville to help Averil take care of his aging mother. John married Averil in February of 1990, which began a close-knit partnership of love and devotion. He developed a love of cooking and gardening that they enjoyed pursuing together. Golf always remained his true hobby, playing into the last year of his life. Together they enjoyed spending time with their children and grandchildren of their blended families. John is survived by his wife of 26 years, Averil A. Peters, two children and their spouses, Lynn and Dr. Jim Dunaway of Griffin, GA and John and Heather Peters, Jr. of Mooresville, NC, two step daughters and their spouses, Kristine and Mike Conyers of Sebastian, Florida, Michelle and Troy Maddux of Chattanooga, TN, 14 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild and three cousins, Robbie Peters Hendon, Ellen Peters Morrison and Ann Crouch Thompson. Services will be held on March 5, 2016 at 1:00pm at Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. A procession will then follow to Highland Memorial Cemetery for the interment. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Knox Area Junior Golf Association, www.concordparkgolf.org, or Avalon Hospice, 152 Market Place Blvd # F, Knoxville, TN 37922 The family will receive friends on Friday, March 4, 2016 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Online condolences may be made at www.rosemortuary.com

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John Love Peters

April 27, 1936 - February 20, 2016