Obituary – Jerome Peterson (1939 – 2020)

Jerome (Jerry) Lee Peterson, 80, of Palm City, Florida, transitioned into eternity to be with our Heavenly Father, on Thursday, February 4, 2020.

Born in New London, Connecticut, the second son of Charles Manfred and Emily Doris Peterson, Jerry graduated from New London High School and enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served as an aircraft mechanic with the 551 ^st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing out of Otis Air Force Base in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 38 years, Carole; son Patrick and his wife, Marcie of Homosassa, Florida; daughter Wendy Schneider Labonte and her husband, Dan of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; son Dan and his wife Robin of Stowe, Pennsylvania; daughter Debra Couture Foster and her husband, Mike of Ocean Isle, North Carolina; sister Lois Sargent and her husband Don of Old Lyme, Connecticut; brother Charles (Pete) and his wife Betsy of Grand Haven, Michigan; sister Charlotte of Smithfield, Virginia; grandchildren Nick and his wife Jessica and great grandson Asher of Clermont, Florida, Samantha of Beverly Hills, Florida, Lindsey Schneider of Atlanta, Georgia, Lauren Schneider of Tequesta, Florida, Alyssa Peterson Lehr and her husband Jay and great grandson Conner and great granddaughter Tessa of Limerick, Pennsylvania, Kristen Peterson Richardson and her husband Ryan of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, Jonathan Couture of New Jersey, and Michelle Couture of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He is survived also by 17 nieces and nephews and their children.  Over the years, a few people have adopted Jerry as their substitute father.  He loved and care for them as his own.  They were blessed to have him in their lives.

After his honorable discharge from the Air Force, Jerry worked as a radiographer for General Dynamics, Electric Boat Division in New London, Connecticut, as a post-incident engine inspector for Pratt & Whitney in Hartford, Connecticut, as a non-destructive test inspector for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida, and for a variety of aircraft companies, petro-chemical construction companies, and nuclear utilities throughout the United States.  He was certified as a Level II and then a Level III Radiography Inspector.  His time at the Kennedy Space Center generated many stories about astronauts he met while working with the Saturn and Apollo programs where he radiographed the boots, gloves, and chest packs that Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wore on the first moon landing.  He taught non-destructive testing methods while working at Yankee Atomic Electric Company in Framingham, Massachusetts, and was a member of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing.  After retirement, he earned a captain's license to operate uninspected passenger vessels and a private pilot license.  He loved flying the single engine Piper 180 airplane he restored while living in Camden, South Carolina, and he loved driving the three Corvettes he bought and restored over the years.  While in Camden, he served on the local airport commission where he took a turn as chairman and helped organize the airport's Celebrate Freedom Festival.  He was a member of the Palm City Presbyterian Church in Palm City, Florida.  One of his last joys was his dog, Mactavish (Mackie) who passed just a few months before Jerry.  It's easy to picture the two frolicking in heaven together.

He will be buried with military honors on February 17th at the National Cemetery in Lake Worth, Florida.