Geoffrey Maclean “Jeff” Peters
1949 - 2025
Jeff was born in Palo Alto, California, to Carol (Stearns) and Colin Peters. The family lived at the crest of a ridge in the hills above Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA, a wide-open space that encouraged free roaming and free thinking. Sports and academics were the family priorities, and Jeff excelled in both. At Los Altos High, Jeff earned varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball, frequently serving as team captain and/or MVP. He was no less accomplished in academics, gaining admission to Harvard College, graduating in 1971, and then Stanford Law School, class of 1974. Jeff practiced law in Boston for a few years before moving on to work as a consultant, notably in the AT&T antitrust litigation. He also taught law at Boston University, Suffolk Law, and New England School of Law. Jeff then became a senior administrator at Harvard, where he spent the remainder of his career.
After retiring from Harvard in 2009, Jeff devoted himself to classical piano and other forms of music including choral singing, French horn, and guitar. He downplayed his abilities but was in fact an accomplished musician, especially at the piano, where he spent his happiest hours. He usually closed a day of practice with one of his favorite Brahms sonatas. He was also an avid cyclist, traveling throughout the world by bike and using his bike as his main mode of transportation at home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, even during the winter months. Jeff had an active and inquisitive mind, always curious and rarely satisfied with simple answers. He loved feta cheese, French wine, and good company, and had an unparalleled gift for connecting with people, especially those who enjoyed conversing about science, politics, music, human relations, and philosophy. His last years were shared in harmony with his companion, Libby Seaman.
Jeff passed away on February 20, 2025, as the result of a sudden cardiac arrest sustained while he was riding his bike home from a weekly breakfast with an old friend. He is survived by his brother Stephen Peters, sister Anne Battle, their families, cousins Torie Thacher, Peter Seitz and Linda Seitz, partner Libby Seaman, former wife Peggy Hanratty, and many friends from every corner of his life.