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Halcyon Belle Waterbury Peters died in her Albuquerque home on February 14, 2004, at the age of 96. Halcyon was born in Utica, NY, in 1907. As an only child, "Halcy," as she was always called, learned to love music, reading and writing from her grandmother, "Muddie," who reared her. After moving to Cleveland with her grandmother, Halcy received her B.A. in education from Case Western Reserve University and, later, her Master's in Special Education from San Francisco State. After marrying and moving to the Chicago area, she taught history in high school. She later became a resource teacher for the blind when Illinois mandated that blind and sighted students be taught together, in the same school, not in separate ones. After retiring from teaching, she was employed as a proofreader for a local Des Plaines newspaper. She and her husband retired to Albuquerque in 1980. She was married to H. Frederick "Ricky" Peters for 55 years. He was an Episcopal Deacon, and he died in 1995. Halcy assisted Deacon Peters in conducting services at local nursing homes, especially La Vida Llena. She enjoyed playing the piano and painting and belonged to the New Mexico Art League. She particularly liked celebrating holidays and even showed this at the end of her life. She had dressed all in red for St. Valentine's Day before she died. Halcy is survived by three daughters, Carol Klossner and her husband, Kurk; Jilea (Jill) Lee, and Sally Douglas, all of the Albuquerque area; four grandchildren, Shaw Patterson and his wife, Dana, of Kodiak, Alaska; Linda Haese of Phoenix, Arizona; Roy Burt and his wife, Sandi, of Sandia Park, New Mexico; and Heather DiMarzio and her husband, Albert, of Jacksonville, Florida; and eight great-grandchildren. Halcy is also survived by four cats, her "kitty children," which were a great comfort to her. She was very active in St. Mary's Episcopal Church and its St. Elizabeth's Guild, and she also had attended St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church. A celebration of Halcy's life is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 21, at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 1500 Chelwood Park NE (near Indian School), Albuquerque. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Animal Humane Association of New Mexico, Inc., 615 Virginia SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108.
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