In his last Facebook profile, Stephen P."Drew" Peters described himself as someone who would have no regrets if his life came to a sudden end.
"I can honestly say that I have been able to do everything I have wanted to do before it was too late," he wrote. The words provided haunting comfort when read to the more than 100 family and friends who filled the aisles at St. Philip Neri Church for Peters' funeral today.
Through tears, mourners listened to Peters' proud summary of graduating from college, serving in the U.S. Army and working as a police officer for the Chicago Housing Authority.
They nodded at a list of mottos that Peters tried to live by: exhibit strength, but never hit a woman; no child is bad from the beginning; and people may forget what you do, but they will never forget the way you made them feel.
The way he made people feel became apparent moments later when laughter erupted over one of his choices of theme song -- Salt N' Pepa's "Whatta a Man" -- and the way he pointed out that he always wore a belt, so his underwear would "only be seen in the privacy of my own home."
Peters, 44, and Michael Flisk, 46, a 20-year veteran of the Police Department, were gunned down Dec. 3 in a South Chicago alley as Flisk investigated a burglary to Peters' beloved Mustang GT Cobra.
Timothy Herring, a 19-year-old parolee who lived across the alley from Peters, was charged in the slayings. Police said Herring feared Flisk had found fingerprints and would link him to the car burglary.
As dozens of uniformed officers trudged through wet sidewalks to pay their respects to their friend, Phil Williams, who met Peters at the CHA police academy, said he struggled to understand why a man who dedicated his life to others had to die.
"It's hard. A lot of us, we are angry. But we have to keep going for the other former CHA officers and for Stephen Peters' family," Williams said.
Damon Riggins, Peters' partner at the CHA police for nine years, said he would try to channel his friend's positive attitude in dealing with the loss. Even while on duty in some of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods, Peters' kept a smile on his face - one of the many reasons he earned the nickname "Superman."
"Superman is in heaven," Riggins said. "And when you get up there, you're going to have to pass by Officer Stephen Peters because he's holding it down."
Fr. Thomas Belanger, pastor at St. Phillip , urged mourners not to be discouraged despite the hate, crime and devastation they had seen.
"Stephen's leaving behind a great legacy, a great message, that one day peace will become a reality," Belanger said. "But until then, speak out for justice."
Peters' wife, D'Jana L. Peters did not speak at the service, but smiling photos of the couple - dancing at their wedding, playfully showing off their muscles side-by-side, out to dinner at a nice restaurant -- filled the funeral program, saying all that needed to be said.
D'Jana Peters wept as she slowly followed Peters' casket down the church's center aisle to the front, where Chicago police officers covered it with an American flag and carried it into the falling snow.
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