Steven C. Peterson

Steven Charles Peterson passed away peacefully on June 21, 2020, in Enid, OK, after his
inspirational two-year battle with cancer.
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 couldn't stay
away from engineering, so he continued to consult part-time until 2017.
Throughout his life, Steve was a "tinkerer" -- he loved fixing things and was known to keep his
cars, lawnmowers and boat motors running well past their primes. He was an avid sportsman
and sports fan, especially after transforming into a New Englander. Steve took-up golf and
skiing in his mid-20's and started playing hockey at age 30. He competed in his company's
golf league for 40 years and 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 camping, deep sea and ice fishing, and cherished his annual weeklong hunting trips to Vermont, staying in a cabin he built with friends. Steve was a passionate
fan of his favorite sports teams: the Minnesota Vikings, Hartford Whalers and UConn Huskies
basketball teams. He claimed to favor the Red Sox, but always seemed to secretly root for his
wife and sons' beloved Yankees.
Steve was very active in his community, serving four terms on the Vernon town council as well
as Inland Wetlands Regulatory Commissioner and President of the Rockville Fish and Game
Club. He co-founded a dog park in Vernon and was an active member of Faith Lutheran
Church in East Hartford for many years. He loved taking hikes at Valley Falls and canoe trips
on Crystal Lake. He was a member of MENSA and was very proud of his Swedish and
Norwegian heritage. The phrase "Uff da!" (as well as, "You're kidding!") 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 adventure, traveling and exploring
new places, always relishing his many visits to Japan, England and Germany. Steve was
especially fond of leisurely road trips -- he and Kathy would take their dogs on long summer
journeys to meander across the country visiting family and friends. In November of 2019, they
left for what would be their final epic 7-month road trip, spanning 16 states, as they visited
John's family in Denver and Scott in Los Angeles before settling in Enid to be near his loving
sister Ann, brother-in-law James Bryant and their family.
Above all, Steve was a great, open-minded and non-judgmental man who would do anything
for anyone without hesitation. No one was ever more kind, sensitive or humble. He had a
fantastic sense of humor and unwavering optimism; he always stayed positive and appreciative
of each day even as his disease progressed. His greatest passion was for his family and they
all agree that he was the best man they ever knew, and that the world is a strange, emptier
place without him.
Steve (aka "The Father Figure") is survived by his wife Kathy; his son Scott; his son John,
daughter-in-law Tiffany and his grandchildren Emma, Grace and Luke; 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.
We love and will miss you always, TFF. Huggers.

Condolences and special memories may be made to the family online at WWW.Brown-Cummings.com