Obituary

Obituary
Roderick Anthony Peters, 27, lost his battle with depression at home on June 22, 2023, in Gas City, Indiana. Rod is survived by his father, Ricardo Peters; mother, Laura Akers; step-father, Jay Akers; sisters, Portia, Trinity, and Sophia Akers; brother, Matthew Schnaare; grandparents, Vilma June Peters and Don (Rose) Akers; aunts, Nina (Lance) Redden, Heather (Shawn) Riebenack-Hebb, and Kristi (Keith) Dann; uncles, Paul (Chula Gratton-Riebenack) Riebenack, Mark Bebermeyer, and David Akers; and cousins, Arianna Husocki, Fallon Redden, Serenity Gratton, Chrystalyn Iris Jacobs, and Luna Dann. He is preceded in death by his grandfather, Adolph Riebenack; uncle, Kelly Bebermeyer; and his Grammy, Hazel Bebermeyer, who is both hugging him and smacking him in the head for the way he went.

Rod was born on August 17, 1995, on a gorgeous Hollywood, Florida, evening, sharing a birthday with his great-grandfather, Norton Brock, and his Aunt Heather. He came into the world as a water birth and never lost his love for water. He was the apple of his mother’s eye and the greatest love of his Aunt He He and his Aunt Nina. He lived in Orlando until the age of six before moving to Jonesboro, Indiana. However, close family relationships in Orlando and around the state would keep it like a second home for the rest of his life. While growing up, Roderick had a diverse primary and secondary education, including private Christian schools-Harvest Time and The King’s academies, Westview Elementary, and Saren Memorial Homeschool. As a child and adolescent, Rod enjoyed anime, manga, video games, airsoft, and developed a love of Metal music. He often traveled in the summers and during holidays to Florida and Colorado to spend time with family, as well as enjoying theme parks, lakes, and the ocean. If there was a body of water nearby, Rod was often in it. In high school, Rod played basketball, was cast for several strongly character-driven roles in plays at school, such as Cyrano De Bergerac, and went on to become the most recognized mascot of Top Dog Car Wash. After qualifying for the Indiana Wesleyan Upward Bound program, he spent two summers on IWU’s campus in special study camps and was also able to attend cultural events all over the state. During this time, he learned to work hard, to be fiercely independent, and to make many deep friendships. Rod graduated from The King’s Academy on June 2, 2013, and went on to attend IWU and Ivy Tech, where he earned his Associate of Science in Accounting degree in 2016. He began working for Walmart DC in February of 2017 and worked there until the time of his passing. He was an order-filler, a T3 Trainer, a CSD Lead, and he proudly described himself on Facebook as a B1 Axonify Champion at the DC (not that anyone knows what that is except DC people). Rod has been privately described (cough, cough Lauren Winningham) as “The Best Order-Filler in the History of Walmart DC”, and “They will always tell the legend of Rod Peters, the only man who could run 200%!” (sources not verified but bravado amusingly typical). Rod was briefly married to Aimee Diane Cobb from August 5, 2017, until August 14, 2018. Rod recently returned to his education and has been working on his Bachelor of Science in Business at Purdue University (Fort Wayne).

Rod was a beautiful man, unexpectedly quick-witted, and both a fierce competitor, as well as kind and gentle. He loved words and knew how to use them for deepest impact, to highlight hypocrisies, and to impart wisdom. His talent with numbers almost matched that of his vocabulary. He lifted heavy weights and moshed hard. He was easy to love, as his massive body of friends from all corners of his life attest. He is most often described as the basic model from whom all great movie and game characters originate, a loyal friend, great listener, upbeat personality, and someone who kept everyone laughing through a long workday.

Memorial services for Rod will be held at 3:00 pm on Friday, July 7, 2023, at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church, 2960 W. 38th St., Marion, IN, preceded by a public viewing from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations toward funeral costs will be accepted at the service, can be mailed to the family, or sent through Cash App at the QR code below.

Arrangements are entrusted to Needham-Storey-Wampner Funeral & Cremation Service, Storey Chapel, 400 E. Main St., Gas City, IN.

Memories may be shared online at www.nswcares.com.