Christopher Peters

Christopher John Peters, age 54, born September 24, 1971, in Naples, Italy, passed away April 3, 2026. He found peace fighting ALS to a draw.

Chris was a hilarious human being, generous dreamer, and imaginative thinker. He cherished sharing his life with the people he loved.

Born overseas, Christopher spent his childhood traveling with his parents. As the eldest grandchild, the “Little Bambino” was often indulged by his “Bacha,” and his debut to the family kickstarted a trend of new baby cousins. During those formative years, CJ looked out for his new pack, sharing with them many of his interests: shooting, building forts, Kung Fu moves, and gaming tips and tricks.

Growing up, CJ had varied interests, and he grew up in various interesting places, like Chicago, Tulsa, Houston, and St. Louis. Perhaps due to frequently moving, Chris always sought to connect with others. He created short videos, made home movies, sent handcrafted notes, painted canvases, wrote extensive letters, and made for them other memorable treasures: ephemera not necessarily meant to last, but made with love for the people who meant a great deal to him.

Gaming was one of numerous pursuits that he enjoyed sharing with others and one of the ways he stayed in touch with friends and family throughout his life. Chatting online half-a-world away or sitting on the same couch in comfortable silence, connecting with others by playing together brought Chris great joy.

With the birth of his younger sister, Kim, CJ gained a sidekick for his adventures. He was enthusiastic about bringing her into those worlds that he loved. Even if she was too young to act as “player two,” CJ shared with Kim all the things he loved, often in silly voices. He encouraged but also terrorized her as only an older brother could, such as the time he asked her to stand in as a training dummy for his roundhouse kick practice.

Chris expressed interest in the military and joined ROTC at Kirkwood High School before earning a degree in Religious Studies from Truman State. Upon graduation, he joined the Army, where he became a Medical Platoon Leader in the Cavalry.

Stationed in Fort Collins, Colorado, Christopher fell in love with the mountain landscapes and all they offered, skiing, painting, subjects for conversation, and a backdrop for reflection. During one of his trips to its national parks, he learned about a meditation and breathwork program called The Art of Living. Chris became an active participant in various chapters of the program and would often attend weekend-long silence retreats focusing on contemplation. 

In The Art of Living, he met Rachel. They married, adopted a Pomeranian, and divorced. CJ kept up with the meditation, and kept the dog, Little One. Meditation became another of his passions, leading him to follow the teachings of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and practice meditative exercises for the rest of his life. Chris also kept the dog.

Around this time, his mother, Eva, passed away, bringing “Big CJ” back to Missouri to grieve with family. His ensuing search for peace and a higher purpose then led Christopher to Austin, TX, where he had an opportunity to serve in AmeriCorps, helping the unhoused and teaching meditation to prisoners, while also volunteering his time with The Boys and Girls Club.

In Austin, Chris also began a 14-year career with Apple. There he met some of his best friends and found an opportunity to experience firsthand much of the burgeoning technology of the 21st century. While Chris didn’t invent the iPhone, he did own quite a few.

It was in Austin Chris chanced upon his then-to-be wife, Gwen. On their first date they found that they couldn’t stop their conversation. Almost two hours into the date, it finally occurred to them to order food. 

Throughout their relationship, they had a chance to travel and explore the world together. With visits to locales such as Paris, Tahiti, Amsterdam, Mexico, Alaska, Belgium, and others, Chris and Gwen shared some incredible meals. At dinnertime, Chris was known for requesting a second (and third) basket of bread, though he amazingly resisted filling up on pre-meal carbs, always finding the room to enjoy novel cuisine.

Though it was sharing his life with Gwen that provided Chris with a sense of clarity. After six years of marriage and shared adventures, the couple welcomed their daughter, Julia, in 2017; Henri, their son, followed in 2019. Christopher’s children became his whole world. He was fortunate enough to be able to walk away from his career to spend more time with them.

Christopher doted on both Julia and Henri, spoiling them as often as he could. Their days together were filled with visits to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, local eateries, movie theaters, the Lego store, children’s museums, zoos, parks, and playgrounds. He talked to them in silly voices, engineered elaborate blanket forts for them, and crafted for them (and himself) detailed Halloween costumes. He shared with his children his love of the outdoors and his passion for making art. Laughing at their silliness, joining in alongside them, and watching them grow brought him indescribable happiness. 

CJ brought happiness to others, too. He was full of joy and always smiling. He had a disarming air about him, and a warm laugh that invited people to join in, even if it involved shaking their heads in confused amusement. Whether he met someone for the very first time or had known them for years, he greeted them with affection, enthusiasm, and a charismatic smile. Without hesitation he would ask after people: How were they doing? What were they into? And would immediately initiate counseling, commiserating, and/or complimenting others’ latest interests, endeavors, and accomplishments.

He would then happily launch into his own interests, hoping to find common ground, or another hobby to pick up. New projects were like water to him. He always found time to hone a new hobby or master a skill. Some of his interests included woodworking, breadmaking, painting, sailing, cinema, motorcycle riding, Tesla vehicles, The Art of Living, camping, sailing, traveling, and collecting and building Lego sets. 

Following his ALS diagnosis, Chris made the decision he would do everything to be present for his children for as long as possible. This included moving to Edwardsville, IL, to once again be with family during this difficult time.

Christopher Peters was a person who shared his passions with those he loved, and those he loved will forever carry his memory.

He will be deeply missed by those that survive him: his wife, Gwen; his children, Julia and Henri; his sister, Kim (Corey Porter) of St. Louis, MO; his grandmother, Harriet Schmidt, of Edwardsville, IL; step-mother, Pattty, step brother CJ, mother-in-law, Marielle Rimmer, (Mark), father-in-law, Andre de Baghy; brother in-law, Tim de Baghy (Robin); nephew, Noah; niece, Estelle; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Chris is preceded in death by his father, Ray, and mother, Eva.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday April 25, 2026 at 11am until 1pm at Weber and Rodney Funeral Home in Edwardsville. The family suggests memorials to the ALS Foundation. Condolences can be shared at weberfuneralhome.com

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