- Date Of Birth: December 16, 1944
- Date Of Death: October 13, 2022
- State: Idaho
Pete was born on December 16, 1944 in San Diego, California the only child of Victor and Eva Peterson. Because his father was career Navy, he had the opportunity to live in many places in the US, including Norfolk, VA; Alameda, CA; San Diego, CA (several times) and best of all, Barbers’ Point on Oahu, Hawaii.
His dad mustered out of the Navy in Hawaii, and they returned to Idaho, where his parents were raised. They settled in Boise and spent several weeks living with his mom’s sister, Charlotte Reeves. He met his wife, Marsha, through Cheryl, his cousin.
Pete and Marsha’s love story started in August of 1964, when Marsha and Cheryl were talking on the phone making plans to go to a movie called, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Aunt Charlotte picked up the extension and told them that whatever they had planned to do they had to take Morris along. The rest is history.
My great Uncle Ernie shared some memories:
– Them kissing in the living room, and doing it all the time, even when he was in the room!
– And being jealous that Pete always got free chocolate milk and didn’t share. (He worked for Triangle Dairy and drove a semi to Mountain Home Airforce Base. When he traded out the new milk, he would drink an expired quart of chocolate milk filled with a small carton of whipping cream and eat the donuts he traded for with the bakery man. Any wonder that he went from 175 lbs. to 225 lbs. that year?)
Pete and Marsha were blessed with only one child, their wonderful daughter MaeLynn born a year later. Back in the day before ultrasounds, a baby’s gender was only guessed at, with surprising accuracy, by the way the baby was carried. The doctor had told them that they were probably having a boy. That news was greatly received, because Pete was the last of his direct Peterson line.
When to their surprise Mae entered the world, all 7 lbs. 14 oz. of wide blue-eyed girl, Marsha was concerned how the news would be received by Pete. When he held Mae for the first time the next day, you could physically see him melt into a happy puddle. Mae had him wrapped around her finger from that moment on.
Pete finally finished his Bachelor’s degree in 1973, a full ten years after his high-school graduation date. He started his business career that same year by happenstance.
Worsening health forced Pete to retire in 2011 and move back to Boise to be near Marsha’s family. He suffered from so many problems and spent so much time in the ER that we told everyone that we were “frequent flyers” at St. Luke’s Meridian.
I was the apple of my grandpa’s eye. Finally, that long awaited son. Even though we were separated by many miles from each other, my grandparents took every opportunity to attend every special moment in my life. Grandpa Pete and Grandma Marsha were able to attend my high school graduation and join in all the fun. Even though his health was starting to decline, they flew to Baltimore for my college graduation.
My wife and I met through work in the D.C. area and she had been my girlfriend for a couple of years before Grandma and Grandpa had to opportunity to meet Jacqueline. My mom and dad had decided to gather in Grandpa’s home soon after he was released from many weeks of hospitalization and rehab in a nursing home. I brought Jacqueline with me. They in love with Jacqueline and knew she was the one for me. Then they were anxiously waiting for me to pop the question and hoped I wouldn’t “blow it” before I could ask her to marry me.
Four years ago Grandpa had serious sepsis and nearly died. He regained some of his health and mobility but continued to decline. He died peacefully from the same illness on Oct. 13. We all viewed those last four years of his life as a gift that all his doctors called a miracle.
