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Steven Charles Peterson passed away peacefully on June 21, 2020, at St. Mary's Hospital in Enid, OK. He was 76. Born on January 16, 1944, to Carl Willard and Melinda Peterson in Hudson, SD, Steve was raised in nearby Alcester where he graduated from high school in 1962 before marrying Kathleen Moberg on November 16, 1963. They had two sons, Scott and John. Steve had an inquisitive mind. As an adolescent, he read the encyclopedia in its entirety and developed an interest in science and a curiosity about how things worked. This led him to earn a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from South Dakota State University in 1967 and later a master's degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Steve followed his passion for aeronautical engineering and moved his family to Connecticut where he worked as a design engineer at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft for 35 years until his retirement in 2002. He soon missed engineering, so he consulted part-time until 2017. Throughout his life, Steve was a "tinkerer" -- he loved fixing things and was known to keep his cars, motorcycles and lawnmowers running well past their primes. Steve was an avid sportsman and sports fan, especially after he transplanted to New England. He took-up golf and skiing in his mid-20's and started playing hockey at age 30. He played in his company's golf league for 40 years -- he loved spending time on the links with his sons and friends.
Steve was very involved in his sons' sports activities, serving as commissioner of their church basketball league and coaching Scott's hockey and John's baseball teams. He loved hunting and deep sea fishing, was president of the Rockville Fish and Game Club and traveled to Vermont for week-long hunting trips in a cabin he built with friends. He was a huge fan of his favorite sports teams: the Minnesota Vikings, Hartford Whalers and UConn Huskies basketball teams. He claimed to love the Red Sox, but always seemed to secretly root for his wife's beloved Yankees. Steve was very active in his community, serving four terms on the Vernon town council as well as Inland Wetlands Regulatory Commissioner for two years. He co-founded a dog park in Vernon and was an active member of Faith Lutheran Church in East Hartford for many years. He was a member of MENSA and was very proud of his Swedish and Norwegian heritage. The phrase "Uff da!" was often uttered in the Peterson household.
Steve was a ferocious reader and crossword puzzle enthusiast. He enjoyed the Science Channel, WW2 documentaries and Trivial Pursuit. He loved road trips; he and Kathy would take their dogs on long summer journeys to visit family all over the country. In November of 2019, they ventured out west to be closer to family, spending time in Denver with John's family and in Los Angeles with Scott before settling in Enid to be near his loving sister Ann and brother-in-law James Bryant and their family. Above all, Steve was a kind, sensitive and humble man with a great sense of humor. He was open-minded and non-judgmental and would do anything for anyone without hesitation. His love for his family and was immense and they will miss him always.
Steve is survived by his wife Kathy; his son Scott; his son John and wife Tiffany and his grandchildren Emma (14), Grace (13), and Luke (9); his sister Ann and her husband James Bryant; his brother Ward and his wife Pat; his in-laws Sam and Joanne Hatton; his sister-in-law Janet Anderson; his brother-in-law Ken Moberg; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and life-long friends.
He was pre-deceased by his parents and brother John.
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