Dr. Charles D. Peters, 88, of Emmaus, died Aug. 17, 2021.

He and his wife, Barbara E. (Holland) Peters, were married 51 years.

Born in Allentown, he was the loving son of the late Dr. Ray F. Peters and Anna L. (Weitknecht) Peters.

He earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1951 and spent two summers as a Ranger at Philmont Scout Ranch, and was the Waterfront director at Trexler Scout Reservation.

A 1950 graduate of Allentown High School and a 1954 graduate of Muhlenberg College, he earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1958.

He completed a residency in internal medicine at The Delaware Hospital in 1965.

A captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corp from 1959-61, he served as the Commander of the Medical Battalion in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1960 and was a major in the Delaware National Guard from 1962-66.

He returned to Allentown in 1966 and practiced in the Lehigh Valley for 55 years.

Medicine was his life and passion and he was deeply committed to caring for his patients and community.

He practiced internal medicine with Medical Associates of the Lehigh Valley and was on staff at Lehigh Valley Hospital, was chief of general internal medicine from 1974-80, was a consulting physician for Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, and was an assistant clinical professor at The Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann School of Medicine and Penn State University.

In 1972, he was awarded Teacher of the Year for the Department of Medicine at Allentown Hospital.

He received the preceptorship for Community Based Teaching from American College of Physicians and, in 1998, the Dean’s Special Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching from the Medical College of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

He was elected to fellowship in the American College of Physicians and the American College of Chest Physicians.

A devoted lifelong member of St. James United Church of Christ, he served as a deacon and an elder of the consistory until his death.

He loved his farm and riding the trails on his Tennessee Walking Horses.

A highlight of his life was riding in the re-enactment of the Liberty Bell Wagon Trek that brought the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Zion’s Church in Allentown for the Bicentennial celebration in 1976.

He loved skiing, sailing and summers on the beach at Rehoboth and Block Island with his children and grandchildren.

He was a true gentleman and a thoughtful, caring person who was dearly loved by his family and respected by all who knew him.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by children Melinda Peters and her companion, Roy Schaefer, of Allentown, Dr. Charles D. Peters Jr. and his wife, Jennifer (Jackson) Peters, of Emmaus, and Amanda (Peters) Kinney and her husband, Brian Kinney, of Wellesley, Mass., and grandchildren Ethan Kinney, Charles Peters III, Elizabeth Kinney and Madison Peters.

A viewing will be held 5-7 p.m. Aug. 27 at Trexler Funeral Home, 1625 Highland St., Allentown.

His funeral service will be 10 a.m. Aug. 28 at St. James UCC, 37 S. 15th St., Allentown, PA 18102, followed by interment at Grandview Cemetery, South Whitehall.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the church.

Condolences may be left at trexlerfuneralhome.com.