John C. Peach Sr., a retired Baltimore police captain who enjoyed model railroading, died of heart failure and cancer Thursday at Gilchrist Hospice Care. He was 79 and lived in Columbia.
Captain Peach was born in Baltimore and raised on Chestnut Hill Avenue. He was a 1948 graduate of City College.
During the Korean War, he was drafted into the Marine Corps and served in Marine aviation from 1951 until 1955, when he was discharged with the rank of staff sergeant.
He worked for a year at the old General Motors plant on Broening Highway, joining the city Police Department in 1956.
He was a foot patrolman downtown until being promoted to the detective bureau and internal investigation division.
In 1967, he was promoted to sergeant, and later as a lieutenant, served in the department's tactical section, Eastern District and in the office of the chief of patrol.
Promoted to captain in 1977, he was assigned to the Western District. His final assignment was with the property section, where he served for 14 years until retiring in 1992.
During his 36-year police career, Captain Peach was decorated with the Bronze Star and earned four official commendations.
He was proud that his three sons became police officers, family members said.
Captain Peach, a former Parkville resident, enjoyed working on a large HO-gauge model railroad, which he maintained in the basement of the Columbia home where he had lived since 1984.
He also liked working on his cars, target shooting and ammunition reloading.
At Captain Peach's request, services will be private.
Surviving are his wife of 25 years, the former Beverly Goeller; three sons, John C. Peach Jr., a Maryland state trooper, and Joseph Peach, a Baltimore County police officer, both of Perry Hall, and Jeffrey Peach, also a Baltimore County police officer, of Joppa; two stepsons, Matthew Goeller of Columbia and Mark Goeller of New York City; a brother, Edgar Peach of Parkville; and three grandchildren. An earlier marriage to the former Anna May Marll ended in divorce.
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