Caroline was born August 27, 1931, in Harvey, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, to Leonard and Leona Schilb. Her father was the head of the Thornton Township High School Science Department, where Caroline was a student. After completing high school, she went to Purdue University where she joined the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She started dating John F. Peters, a boy from her hometown, and fell in love. After graduation, Caroline and John married and moved to Southern California. John decided to return to Purdue for his master’s degree, after which Caroline and John moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, buying a house in Los Altos and starting a family. They had three children: Pamela, John David, and Katharine. The family spent many days at beach and vacations camping in Montana. Caroline was a devoted and loving mother.

In 1974, Caroline very unexpectedly lost John after 20 years of marriage and faced the daunting task of providing for and raising her three children as a single mother. At 43 years old, she went back to school and got her master’s degree in library science. She worked as a corporate librarian for 10 years, and for the Santa Clara County Public Library for 21 years. Caroline was a strong and fiercely independent woman.

In her personal life, Caroline was curious and always learning, with a wide range of interests including anthropology, earth sciences and history. She was a voracious non-fiction reader, visiting the library on a regular basis. She had a special ability to envision and create beautiful surroundings in her home and garden. Caroline took pleasure in driving her bright red MINI Cooper which reflected her youthful spirit. She enjoyed animals and nature, including her many pets, and contributed to numerous organizations that benefited animals and the environment.

She retired in 2010 and continued pursuing her passions. Even as her health slowed her down a bit, she never missed a family get together or turned down an invitation. She was always a joyful presence at any gathering. She took immense pleasure in spending time in her backyard, enjoying the beauty of her garden and feeding the squirrels. In her final months, she genuinely appreciated all who visited her and helped care for her. She passed away peacefully in her home of 67 years, surrounded by her family. She will be profoundly missed.

Caroline is survived by her children Pam (Phillip Benham), John, and Kathy (Cal Augason), her grandchildren Celeste Benham (Lucian Parry), Hayley Benham (Frank Strongoli), Emily Augason (Ivan Ilinsky), Thomas Augason (Amanda Yam), Abby Peters (Cisco Balcazar) and Morgan Peters, great grandchildren Julian, August and Leo Parry, and Rylee Balcazar, and sisters-in-law Rae Schilb and Mary Peters. Caroline was predeceased by her husband John F. Peters, brother Leonard Schilb, brother-in-law Roger Peters, daughter-in-law Karen Peters, and granddaughter Emma Caroline Peters. She was also fortunate to have others who she considered part of her family, including Nancy (Augason), Ed, Carmen, and Gabby Tamondong.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the non-profit organizations Caroline supported. These included The Nature Conservancy, Muttville, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Friends of the Smithsonian.