Richard Peters passed away peacefully at the age of 90 on March 31, 2025.

Richard was born to Ed and Lucy Peters on October 8, 1934. The youngest of four children, he grew up in a lively household where he enjoyed his mother's cooking and spent time alongside his father learning skills that would lead him into a lifelong career in agriculture.

He attended Roosevelt High School where he met his wife, Barbara Krikorian. Upon graduation he became immersed in the family farming and packing business, eventually running Peters and Garabedian Packing Company.

Even with his long work days, Richard found time to work with Hollywood's 'King of the Kustomizers' George Barris, building the iconic Ala Kart, which was awarded the prestigious "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" in 1958 and 1959. He and Barbara appeared on covers of Hot Rod Magazine and to this day, Richard and the Ala Kart remain legends in the world of roadsters.

Richard's passion for farming ran deep. He developed a reputation for producing some of the valley's best fruit. It was in the Coachella Valley that he grew his RP brand grapes, which were considered some of the state's finest table grapes. Richard always said a farmer's best fertilizer was his footsteps in the dirt, and he lived up to that mantra, working long hours in the fields alongside his workers.

Richard's farming career spanned six decades, but in later years his interests spread to politics where he worked to support the election of Governor Ronald Reagan. He went on to bring his farming expertise to his eight-year tenure as president of the State Board of Food and Agriculture under the George Deukmejian administration. He worked hard to support those individuals running for office whose integrity he admired. He and Barbara enjoyed traveling the world and especially loved their times representing California's ag industry in other countries. Richard went on to serve as a board member of Children's Hospital, and was dedicated to their goal of bringing first-class health care to the children in this valley.

As Richard's farming career slowed, he knew he needed to channel his inexhaustible energy into another avenue. He began buying and restoring classic cars, building his very own car museum. His beautiful collection of cars included huge model airplanes, meticulously restored bicycles, memorabilia and novelties, and became a happy meeting place for all of Richard's many friends.

While these are the facts of Richard's life, they do not tell the story of this man who adored his wife and three daughters and worked to give them a life filled with love. While Richard was known for his pointed finger that demanded perfection from his employees, to his four grandkids he was simply known as "Papa", the man who taught them to drive a golf cart and helped them sneak candy into their Grandma's Costco shopping cart. His daughters and their families will forever remember the joy of adventurous family vacations arranged with great attention to detail. They will never forget the long summer days in the backyard of his Sunnyside home where barbeques were followed by shaved ice and peach cobbler. Richard was loved deeply and unconditionally by his children, grandchildren, family and countless friends. He will be missed every day by Barbara, his wife of 69 years, his daughter Cindy and her husband Garth, daughter Susan and her boyfriend Armand, daughter Sharon, and his grandkids Morgan, Jordan, Jaime and her husband Jonathan, and Madison.

Our family is deeply grateful for the compassionate care Richard received from the Hinds Hospice angels. Donations in his memory may be made to Hinds Hospice.