Warren Peterson

Warren B. Peterson

April 12, 1935 – March 1, 2024

Warren Bradley Peterson, 88 years, of Omaha, Nebraska, passed away at Bergan Mercy Hospital and entered his heavenly home on March 1, 2024.

Warren was a loyal, hard-working, and thoughtful son, husband, father, and grandfather.  He entered this world on April 12, 1935, as the only son of Ray and Florence Peterson, growing up in Wakefield and South Sioux City, Nebraska.  His upbringing was a humble one that required him to work and contribute to the family well-being.  He helped with his father’s produce business, which worked primarily with poultry and harvesting and selling eggs.  He also worked at the local Piggly Wiggly grocery store.  After high school he served 45 months in the U.S. Navy spending time in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay area, and Puget Sound working on mine detection on the USS Conflict during the Korean peacekeeping operations.  This experience launched him into electrical engineering.  Upon discharge from the Navy, he settled in southern California and worked for ITT, while continuing his education attending Valley Junior College and Northridge University.  Through the collaboration of two aunts from two families, the Carlsons and the Petersons, he eventually met Ruby, the love of his life.  They wrote letters during the last two years Warren served in the Navy and, upon his discharge, finally met in person.  After a three-month courtship including a first date at Disney Land, they got married in a little Lutheran church in Las Vegas on October 19, 1957, with the pastor’s wife and cleaning lady as their witnesses.  Immediately they started their family and had two daughters and a son.

Fourteen years of adventure in California included camping, beach outings, and numerous family and friend get-togethers.  Warren was a problem solver and planner at heart and a job opportunity came up for him at Offutt Air Force Base to manage an electronics reconnaissance team in Omaha, Nebraska, and they decided to move back to the Midwest, where most of their extended family lived.  The remainder of his career would focus on this mission to offer an invaluable benefit to the U.S. Air Force, until finally retiring at the age of 75.

When he was not working Warren enjoyed racquetball, woodworking, gardening, watching Cornhusker football, fishing, camping, hunting, boating, and both water and snow skiing.  Proud of his Swedish heritage, he was known to many as “the Big Swede” and enjoyed traveling including a trip to visit his ancestral land.  He always planned fun family vacations around the United States including trips to the Ozarks, Lake of the Woods, Glacier National Park, Flaming Gorge Utah, Keystone, Colorado, Washington D.C., and numerous other trips.

He preached the value of education to his children and grandchildren and supported their varied interests in music, sports, and hobbies. Warren was a can-do man who fixed his own automobiles and took on numerous home projects.  He and Ruby were devoted Christians and were active members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Millard for over 40 years.  In addition to regularly attending church, he served as an audio engineer in California Calvary Church and was President of the Church council at St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Millard.  He lived his life devoted to God and his family and friends.

He is survived by his daughters Karla (Steve) Mackie and Kathy (Steve) Hird, all in Fort Collins, Colorado; son, Kent (Diane) Peterson in Omaha, Nebraska; five grandchildren:  Holly Mackie, Bryan Hird, Dylan Hird, Ashley (Stephen) Peterson Meuret, and Aaron Peterson; one great grandson Luke Bradley Meuret; brother-in-law, cousins, and nieces.

He was preceded in death by his wife of over 65 years, Ruby, parents; father-in-law; mother-in-law; a sister; a granddaughter; many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A Memorial Service with military honors is planned for Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 13271 Millard Ave, Omaha, Nebraska 68137 with visitation with family and friends an hour before the service.  Memorials are suggested to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.