Gary Peterson

Gary Peterson

James Gary Peterson, of Superior, WI died Tuesday, May 29, 2018. He was born on July 27, 1949 in Superior, WI. He was in the Navy for 22+ years, and has been to the North Pole TWICE.

He was ‘Buttons the Clown’ who could play the harmonica while walking on his hands. He was athletic, and a natural swimmer. He coached a girl’s softball team, finished a tri-athlon, and ran the Honolulu Marathon. He was so smart! He earned a BA (with honors) in Mathematics, and a Masters Degree (with distinguished honors) in Education. He used those tools to shape young minds as a high school math teacher for 18 years. During that time he lead and coached the Student Academic Olympic team to many victories at the state level, and lead students in a Homeland Security tabletop exercises where they were invited to Washington D.C. to meet the Under Secretary of HLS for the U.S.A. He was a cribbage world champion, and a masterful poker player. He was a joker, who knew no strangers. His list of extraordinary abilities and achievements goes on and on. But, above all, he was the greatest son, brother, uncle, husband, and father a man could be. He loved with all his heart.

He was survived by his loving wife, Darlene A “Punkin”Peterson (Yeazle), his proud daughters, Julie Kauppila (Gene) and Jill Marie Peterson, 3 grandsons: Calvin T. Wendland, Shamus L. Peterson, and Connor L. Peterson, his sister, JoAnn Bradford (Brad), his brother, John G. Peterson (Marion), and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Emma Jo Hanna Rinnet and his father, John Gilbert Peterson.

There will be a Celebration of Gary’s Life with full military honors on Saturday, August 25, 2018 in Needles, California.

To leave an online condolence or to sign the guestbook, please visit www.lenroot-maetzold.com .