Jane R Peters (nee Sylvia), 85, passed away at 6:00pm on New Year's Eve (December 31, 2013) as a result of a stroke suffered on Christmas Eve. If you knew Jane you knew that she wanted to be in heaven in time for New Year's Eve cocktails. Although she said 'the party's over' when her husband died in 2011, we are sure that 'the party began' when she joined her husband in heaven just in time for New Year's Eve. She was born Jane Ruth Sylvia, to Helen nee Peroski and Joseph S Sylvia in New Bedford, Mass,, in 1928. Jane was a student at Normandin Junior High and a 1945 graduate of New Bedford High School. She proudly attended every class reunion for 60 years until she could no longer travel back to Massachusetts. She always said high school was the best time of her life and enjoyed going dancing at Lincoln Park with the many sailors, soldiers and men in uniform at the amusement park, working at Cherry's Department Store and going to the beach with her friends. Jane married the love of her life, Donald W. Peters, a sailor she met at Lincoln Park, and moved to Cleveland, Ohio, near his family in 1946 and since then lived in seven different states and 24 homes, finally settling near her children in the Kansas City area after retiring where she remained until her death. Jane loved entertaining, golf, lots of laughter, winters in Florida, summers in New Bedford and on West Island and spent time every day with her favorite island, 'Manhattan'. She was a gourmet cook and loved learning to make ethnic foods and also kept alive the knowledge of the old recipes of her ancestors that she passed on to her children and grandchildren when she spent a year writing a cookbook that contained all her favorite foods and family recipes made the old ways. Jane was preceded in death by her parents, sister Helen Fisher and her husband, Donald Peters. Surviving are her children, Bruce Peters of Florida, and Cynthia Dueringer (Larry) of Lenexa, Kansas, loving ex- daughter-in-law, Glee Peters of Kansas City; four outstanding grandchildren, Monica Myers (William) of Kansas City, Adrienne Dueringer (Ronnie Paul) of Centerville, KS, Terrence Dueringer (Jolene), Wellsville, KS, Christopher Peters of Los Angeles, CA; four wonderful great- granddaughters, Charlene, Maggie, Elli and Marylin; talented niece Barbara Arnold (John), and her little lap-buddy, Muffin 3. Jane wanted no funeral. In lieu of flowers, she would prefer contributions to any animal welfare group of your choice. Jane will finally be going back home for burial next to her husband at Pine Grove Cemetery, New Bedford, Mass. McGilley and Frye Funeral Home, 105 E Loula St, Olathe, KS 66061, 913-782-0582 www.mcgilleyfryefuneralhome.com

Published in Kansas City Star on Jan. 19, 2014