Warren G. “Pete” Peterson
Warren G. “Pete” Peterson passed away peacefully in his home in Normandy Park, Washington, on Thursday, November 12, at the age of 87.
He is survived by his companion of 21 years, Rheda Helman, his son David and daughter Karen, his sister Norma, and several nieces and nephews.
Pete was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 30, 1928. He developed an interest in aviation and love of airplanes in childhood as he watched military planes fly over his house. He served in both the U.S. Marines and Air Force, the latter taking him to a posting outside Tokyo, Japan.
After his military service, he returned to Minneapolis where he met Margarett Duvall, a stewardess from Tacoma based in Minneapolis. Pete and Margarett returned to the Seattle-Tacoma area where they married and started a family with daughter Karen and a few years later, son David. Pete graduated from the University of Washington in 1958 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He then worked on a number of projects as a weight and balance engineer at the Boeing Company.
After Boeing’s hard economic times in the early 1970s, Pete went to work for Hillsdale Lumber and Manufacturing in Tacoma while beginning to take on jobs as a consulting engineer for building and remodeling projects, both residential and commercial.
Pete and Margarett separated in the late 1970s, later divorcing, and he met Rheda Helman in 1994, with whom he has shared his life ever since. Together they traveled extensively around the country and also in Europe.
His interest in airplanes lasted all his life. In later years he took up painting, producing art shared with friends and family as Christmas cards for several years.
A memorial is planned at The Cove (Normandy Park Community Club building), 1500 SW Shorebrook Drive, Normandy Park, Wa, on Monday, November 30 at 2:00 PM and any who wish to attend are welcome. Flowers are welcome as are donations to the Tacoma and Pierce County Humane Society.
6 Responses to “Warren G. “Pete” Peterson”
Leave a Reply
Please be respectful. Disrespectful comments will not be published
When you have successfully submitted a comment, look in the space above to see your comment.
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
If you do not see your comment, click HERE
Lovely tribute to your father. Words can’t fully describe anything when we lose someone dearly loved. Sending my love to Rheda, Karen, David and your whole family. Pete, you are loved and will never be forgotten.
A kind and gentle man. I have many fond memories.
A good person. We enjoyed his visits when he traveled between Portland and Seattle.
I have only known Pete for a comparatively few years, most of that being at a distance since Karen & I live in England. However, when we did get together on their visits to the UK and France and ours to the US we always got on well. For my part I always admired his intelligence and dry sense of humour. He made me laugh … and sometimes think. I will always have great respect for him and wish I had known him better.
Pete was a great brother-in-law. I was the youngest in the family and he was just fun to be with. When no one else had time for the “little sister” Pete did! He had an amazing sense of humor. Even after he and my sister separated, he stayed part of our family. Truly a great man.
Nobody mentioned this, but Pete enjoyed athletic endeavors ranging from long distance jogging and biking to golf and mountain climbing. I have many great memories of Pete attempting all these activities, and usually completing them, at the urging of our “coach”, Duane. I admire, and will miss, his tenacity, wit, and intelligence.