VERA JENNY BOZANIC PETERS May 8, 1928 – November 6, 2025

Vera Jenny Bozanic Peters, the fifth of the twelve Bozanic children and the first to be born in Worcester, New York, passed away peacefully at the age of 97 on November 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C. A longtime resident of Springfield, Virginia, Vera grew up on the family farm on South Hill in Worcester and graduated from Worcester Central School (WCS) in 1945.

Like all the Bozanic siblings, Vera loved music. She sang in the high school chorus and played clarinet in the band. Her excellence in music was matched by her academic success at WCS, where she received several awards, including for outstanding achievement in Latin and mathematics.

After graduation, Vera remained on the farm for another year or so to help her father care for her seven younger siblings, following the death of her mother, Marta, in childbirth in 1942. While she loved the farm and her family—and often delighted friends and neighbors with her South Hill stories—the wider world beckoned. She joined her older sister Zita in New York City, and while there, she answered an advertisement inviting women to join the newly formed Women’s Air Force (WAF).

In 1948, Vera enlisted in the very first WAF unit at Lackland Air Force Base. Her last assignment was at the Pentagon as an executive assistant, where she met her husband, Lt. Col. Lester (“Pete”) McCormick Peters. They were married in 1951. His assignments allowed Vera to see more of the world: they lived in England, where their son Craig was born, and in Germany, where their son James was born. They later returned to the United States, first settling in Glen Burnie, Maryland, where daughter Suzanne was born, and then in Springfield, Virginia, which became Vera’s home for the rest of her life.

After Lester’s untimely death in 1974, Vera worked for many years as an ER intake assistant and later at the information desk at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport [until she turned 90, allegedly!]. These roles allowed her to do what she loved most: connect with people. She devoted herself to her family, her neighbors, and her beautifully landscaped, flower-filled yard. She loved talking with neighbors, sharing stories of growing up on South Hill, and “educating” anyone who would listen about gardening. She took great pride in the beauty of her yard.

Right up until her death, despite significant health challenges, Vera continued her daily walks around the neighborhood. She knew and loved all her neighbors, who in turn offered her deep support and care.

Vera was immensely proud of herself and her eleven siblings, who came from a dairy farm to accomplish so much, each in their own way. She was proud that six of them served in the military, as did her two sons, and that ten of the twelve earned undergraduate degrees, with six going on to obtain advanced degrees. Her philosophy was that success comes when family supports one another through difficulties and when one chooses to focus on the positives in life.

With the passing of her son James in 2024 and then her daughter Suzanne on October 25, 2025, Vera faced profound grief. Less than two weeks after Suzanne’s death, Vera, too, passed away.

Vera is preceded in death by her parents, John and Marta Bozanic; her husband, Lester Peters; her son, James Clark Peters; her daughter, Suzanne Peters; and her siblings Nick Bozanic, Anne Jorgensen, Helen Teller, Zita Wenzel, John Bozanic Jr., Donald Bozanic, George Bozanic, and Mary Bozanic.

She is survived by her son William Craig Peters (Debbie) of Seattle, WA; her grandson, J. McCormick Peters; her siblings Emily Lilly of Deerfield Beach, FL, Jan (Bernard) Boxill of Chapel Hill, NC, and Larry Bozanic of Denver, CO; her namesake, Vera Boxill Ruth of Durham, NC; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

A memorial Mass for Vera and her daughter Suzanne will be held at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Springfield, Virginia, on November 24 at 10:30 a.m.

Vera’s interment at Arlington National Cemetery, with her husband, Lester Peters, and her son, James Peters, will take place at a later date to be determined. A celebration of her life will also be held in Worcester, New York, at a later date.

Worcester Central School was a strong, disciplined school in a rural community that provided the foundation for the Bozanic siblings and many others to succeed in life. It also served the family in another way: with the early passing of both parents, WCS teachers became surrogate parents to many of the younger Bozanic children. In recognition of that, and because all twelve Bozanic siblings graduated from WCS, the family established the annual Bozanic Alumni Award, given to a student who has succeeded despite life’s difficulties.

Each year, one of the surviving family members presents the award at the WCS Alumni Reunion during June graduation. In 2024, Vera herself was the presenter. She loved attending these reunions, which brought back cherished memories of classmates, friends, and, especially, of returning to South Hill and staying at the old farmhouse. She will be deeply missed at these gatherings.

If you would like to honor Vera, in lieu of flowers please consider a contribution to The Bozanic Alumni Award, which supports a deserving Worcester graduate each year.

Checks may be made payable to: WCS Alumni Association (for The Bozanic Alumni Award)

Mail to: WCS Alumni Association c/o Sydney Chase P.O. Box 502 Worcester, NY 12197