Obituary of Wilbur J. Peterson

Wilbur Joseph “Pete" Peterson, 95 years 6 months, died Wednesday at the Beverly Hospital after a brief illness. He was the husband of 53 years to the late Linda T. (Verza) Peterson. He was born in Woburn on May 23, 1911, the son of the late Marcus and Bridget Ellen “Nellie (Dowd) Peterson and at the age of 2 weeks moved with his family to Peabody where he had resided for his entire life. He was a graduate of Peabody High School in 1929 and from Lowell Tech in 1937 with a certificate in Chemistry. He had first worked at the A.C. Lawrence Leather Co. of Peabody from 1929 to 1945. He then worked as a leather tech and consultant for the Salem Oil and Grease Co of Salem from 1945 until is retirement in 1976 traveling extensively throughout USA,Canada, Central America and Europe. Throughout his career, Pete was a member of both the Leather Chemist Society and the International Leather Chemist Society. He was an invested member of the Peabody community all his life and participated and contributed greatly to several worthwhile endeavors. He was the last surviving charter member of the Peabody Lions Club where he was a member for 60 years and was the recipient of the President’s Service Award giving a lot of time and energy to the Lions Club efforts, especially the Lion Scholarship Fund. Pete was the oldest active member of more than sixty years of the Salem Country Club and received the Lifetime Membership Award in August of 2004. For twenty four years, Pete has been actively involved in the development and ongoing management of the Peabody Council on Aging including terms served as its Board’s Vice Chairman. He was awarded Honorary Member Status and the WJ Peterson Scholarship Fund for the further education of PCOA members, staff or volunteers has been established in his name. He founded and chartered The Friends of the Peabody Council on Aging through which he spearheaded fund raising projects for the sole purpose of bringing monies to essential and worthwhile Peabody Council on Aging project. In concert with the Peabody City Council, Pete initiated and helped develop the plan for the establishment of Forest Street as a scenic country road so that its rural and historic demeanor would be preserved. He is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Marcus L. and Jo-Ann (Aurigemma) Peterson and his two cherished granddaughters, Sarah and Amy of Hopkinton, NH, two sisters, Helen James of Lynnfield and Marcia Kiley of Windham, NH and several nieces and nephews. He was the brother of the late Arlene Mogavero, Donnie and Lester Peterson. A visitation will be held on Sunday from 2:00 until 5:00 PM at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home at the 82 Lynn St. Peabody facility. His funeral will be held on Monday at 10:00 AM from the Funeral Home followed by a Funeral Mass in St. John’s Church, Peabody at 11:00 AM. Following cremation burial will be held at a later date. Expressions of sympathy may be made to WJ Peterson Scholarship Fund, c/o Peabody Council on Aging, 75 Central St., Peabody, MA 01960 in his memory.