Robert A. "Bob" Peters, 82, of Taylor Ridge, died Friday, May 30, 2014 at his home.A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Rock Island. Burial is at the National Cemetery, Arsenal Island, where military honors will be presented by Moline American Legion Post 246. Visitation is 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at the Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Milan, where a rosary will be recited at 4:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or to the American Cancer Society.

Robert August Peters was born on Jan. 6, 1932 in Rock Island, the son of August and Margaret Beckhart Peters. He graduated from Rock Island High School in 1951 and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from 1952 to 1953. He was stationed in both Korea and Japan during the war.

After finishing his time in the service, Bob returned to Rock Island and took a job as a body repairman for Learner's Sales and Service. Bob worked at Learner's until 1974 at which time he opened his own body shop (Peters Paint and Body Shop) in Moline. Bob loved the independence of owning his own shop and worked there until his retirement in early 2009.

Bob married Marilyn L. Buelens on Sept. 24, 1955 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Rock Island. Bob and Marilyn lived in Rock Island until 1971 when they moved to Taylor Ridge. Together they had two sons, Robert Michael of Hampton and Michael Robert of Edgington. The love they shared together was truly remarkable and Bob has always been so grateful that he had a wife "who waited for him to grow up".

Bob loved good food, a good drink and telling a good story. He was very outspoken, and a true friend to anyone who could handle his sometime rough nature and honesty. He loved his wife, children and grandchildren above all else and never tired of telling stories about all their times together. He believed that time is the most precious gift we can give our children while they are children, and he shared this gift constantly and unselfishly. He never let work or the running of his business take priority over the time he spent with his family. Although he had a short temper and swore like a sailor, Bob was a very spiritual man and displayed a strong faith in God's Wisdom and Goodness. Bob summed it all up by simply saying, "I've had a great life". Bob was truly one of a kind and will be greatly missed by his friends and family.

He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, Robert and Sherry Peters, Hampton and Michael and Cheryl Peters, Edgington; grandchildren, Amber (Matt) Hergert, Coyne Center, Bobby (Becca) Peters, Coal Valley, Megan (Jourdan) Dawson, Rock Island, and Abby Peters and Erin Peters, both of Edgington; great-grandchildren, Jacob, Jeffrey, Hayden, Harper, Ryland and another on the way; and his sister, Joanne Sedam, Rock Island. He was preceded in death by his parents; and beloved wife, Marilyn.

Online condolences may be left at wheelanpressly.com.