Dr. Charles D. Peters, 88, of Emmaus, died Aug. 17, 2021. He was the husband of Barbara E. (Holland) Peters for 51 years.

Born in Allentown, he was the 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.

He graduated from Allentown High School in 1950, Muhlenberg College in 1954 and received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1958. He completed a residency in internal medicine at The Delaware Hospital in 1965.

He was a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1959 to 1961, served as the commander of the Medical Battalion in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1960 and was a major in the Delaware National Guard, 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 1974-80, was a consulting physician for Good Shepherd 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, Department of Medicine, Allentown Hospital. He received the Preceptorship for Community Based Teaching from American College of Physicians and The Deans Special Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching from the Medical College of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1998. He was elected to fellowship in the American College of Physicians and the American College of Chest Physicians.

He was a devoted lifelong member of St. James United Church of Christ, where 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 Reformed United Church of Christ in Allentown for the Bicentennial in 1976. He loved skiing, sailing and summers on the beach at Rehoboth and Block Island with his children and grandchildren.

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

A viewing will be held 5-7 p.m. Aug. 27 at Trexler Funeral Home, 1625 Highland St., Allentown. A funeral service will be held 10 a.m. Aug. 28 at St. James UCC, 37 S. 15th St., Allentown 18102.

Contributions may be made to St. James UCC.