Herbert Oscar Peterson's Obituary
Herbert O. Peterson will forever be remembered as a dedicated and loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. He was always willing to help others and was a friendly face everyone knew and loved.
Survived by his wife of 52 years Edie Peterson, his 3 children Lori Peterson, Donna Jones, and Daniel Peterson, his grandchildren Ashley Stone, Kayla Fore, Jessica Menges, Tyler Jones, AJ Jones, Brianna Peterson, and Melissa Peterson, his daughter-in-law Ana Peterson, his son-in-law Matthew Jones, his grandson-in-laws Justin Fore and Vashy Menges, and his great-grandchildren Mia Garcia, Lucas Garcia, and Marshall Fore.
Herbert Oscar Peterson was born on August 22, 1942 in Sacramento, CA to Maybelle Caroline Hall and Oscar E. Peterson. He was the youngest of 6 children: Roy, Geraldine, Marlene, Darlene, and Keith Peterson. Herbie lived most of his life in Rio Linda, CA with his wife and family. He worked at McClellan Air Force Base for 12 years as an Aircraft Inspector, where he had the opportunity to travel the world three times. After McClellan, he was retired for 12 years and became “Mr. Mom” and took care of his three children. He spent his days getting his oldest daughters ready and off to school, while also taking care of his infant son Daniel. He entered the workforce again at Arco Arena, where he spent 17 years as the parking manager. Herbie retired from Arco Arena in 2004 and spent his remaining years focused on his wife, children, and grandchildren.
In 1961, Herb briefly moved to Long Beach, CA with his mom, where they had family friends, and lived there for 3 years. Herb’s friends Chuck and Phyllis introduced him to Edie, and they became inseparable. They got engaged in 1963 and were married on February 27, 1965. Five months later, Herb and Edie moved back to Sacramento County. They bought their “fixer-upper” home together in 1970 in Rio Linda, CA, where they spent the rest of their lives together.
Throughout his life, Herb has always been highly dedicated to his family. He was a wonderful and loving husband who always did what he could to ensure that his companion of 56 years was taken care of. But most of all, he was very much involved and lived for taking care of his children and grandchildren. He was there for every game, play, dance, parade, field trip, graduation, birthday, Christmas, and any other event – big or small. He even won several awards, such as Volunteer of the Year, because of the amount of time and dedication that he placed upon his children. He was actively involved in his children and grandchildren’s sporting activities: he was a coach for the girls softball team for 8 years, where he also ran a pitching clinic for girls softball team as well, he was a honorary Lieutenant for the California Cadet Corp, and attended all events associated with the CCC for 5 years. He attended every game and sporting event, cheering on his children and grandchildren.
Herb was also known for his carpentry and mechanic skills. He spent countless hours working in his shop, also known as “The Barn,” where he began and completed projects such as rebuilding a 1953 Corvette, two 1967 Mustangs, and his beloved 1955 Chevy Bel-Air. No matter the project, Herb was always ready and willing to tackle it and would jump at the chance to help his family and friends with their projects as well.
Herb will be greatly missed and will forever be remembered for his kind heart, his sense of humor, and his infectious laugh.
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