John Henry Peters

John Henry Peters, general counsel and later CEO of Zoetrope Studios, died from brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme) on the evening of Thursday, November 3. He was at home in San Francisco, in the company of his wife and three daughters. He was 76.

Educated under the supervision of Isaiah Berlin and A. J. Ayer at the University of Oxford and then at Yale Law School, Peters was hired as the first general counsel of Zoetrope Studios in 1980. Following the studio’s acquisition of Desilu Studios in Los Angeles and the production of One From the Heart, Peters accepted the position of CEO. He oversaw the studio from 1983 to 1991, guiding it through financially turbulent times and facilitating its operation during the production of The Cotton Club, Peggy Sue Got Married, and several other films directed by Francis Ford Coppola as well as others.

Peters was born on April 18, 1946 in Alexandria, Virginia, the second son of Roger and Mary Lou Peters. He and his brothers, Roger and Edward, and sister, Catherine, grew up in South Bend, Indiana, where the elder Roger taught constitutional law at the University of Notre Dame.

Early on, Peters distinguished himself intellectually as a National Merit Scholar and earned a spot in the first class of the newly created New College of Florida for his undergraduate study of philosophy. He continued his philosophical studies at the University of Oxford as a Fulbright Scholar where he joined the first group of students at Wolfson College. He studied under A. J. Ayer and Isaiah Berlin, thinkers he had admired as an undergraduate, before returning to the U.S. and graduating from Yale Law School.

After law school, Peters joined Zoetrope Studios in San Francisco, where he managed the international and domestic distribution of Zoetrope’s film library, directed all studio business affairs, liaised with labor unions, and oversaw all legal services for Zoetrope and its several subsidiaries. He then moved to Los Angeles with his family to become the CEO of Epic Productions, a role that he carried until he sold the company on behalf of Credit Lyonnais in 1998.

Peters and his family enjoyed life in the Los Angeles area, living in Studio City and then Calabasas. It is there that he turned their 2.5 acre hillside home into Headwaters Vineyard, which produced hundreds of bottles of cabernet, pinot noir, viognier, and chardonnay.

In 2014, John and Laura moved to Sausalito, a step forward in their long-term plan to return to San Francisco. There he enjoyed hiking in the Marin Headlands, taking the ferry into the city, enjoying the local opera and jazz scene, and lots of time spent reading.

Peters was an avid hiker throughout his life and active in local ecological restoration efforts, reflected by his receipt of the Carl Gibbs Environmental Excellence Award from the City of Calabasas in 2006.

Travel was another of Peters’s lifelong interests. He had a special love of Hawaii, where he spent time solo, as a couple with Laura, and as a family with their children. When their children moved abroad to Sweden, Germany, England, China, and Japan, he spent time traveling with them.

In September 2021, Peters was diagnosed with Grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme. His talented team of medical professionals at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Marin General Hospitals provided him with excellent treatment and developed a strong, trusting relationship with him and Laura. True to form, Peters handled the entire process stoically and calmly, never once complaining.

Peters died peacefully at his home in San Francisco on November 3, 2022 in the house where he and Laura were married. He was surrounded by his daughters and wife, and donated his body to the UCSF willed body program to support new generations of doctors and scientists.

Peters is survived by his loving wife, Laura, daughters Hana, Claire, and Rebecca; their partners, Jan Brockhaus, Anthony Di Franco, and Stephen Honan; his grandchildren, sister Catherine Graham and brother Edward Peters, as well as nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his first car, a 1974 Volkswagen Beetle named Sancho. Sancho remains part of the family, now in Alexandria, VA living with Rebecca and her husband Stephen.

Throughout his life, John Peters built lasting friendships and a sense of community wherever he was. He will be celebrated for his integrity, sense of humor, kindness to all people, and his deep connection with people from each chapter of his life. His fondness for cooking and sharing love through food will continue to be cherished by those who love him.

A memorial service is planned for early January, details forthcoming. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to Baldwin House to advance affordable community housing in Washington, DC. 

03/06/2023 EJS