Boyd Peterson
Boyd Leroy Peterson was born Feb. 10, 1930, near Wild Rose, North Dakota, and passed away unexpectedly because of surgical complications on July 3, 2014, at Seattle’s Harborview Hospital.
Boyd was well thought of and loved by all who knew him. We are feeling a true void without our Boyd!
Boyd lived a rich life focusing on what mattered the most to him: family. Rising beyond his hardscrabble childhood on a farm in Wild Rose, Boyd worked hard and completed his education to become a teacher and coach.
He met the love of his life, Nancy Emery Peterson, in Herman, Minnesota, and soon started his family. Boyd and Nancy’s three sons, Kyle, Mike and Todd, were the center of their lives and no effort was spared to provide them with the best opportunities that life could offer. Boyd was a firm but loving father, who offered great encouragement regarding education and in particular, participating in and following sports.
Boyd passed on his best traits to his sons: honesty, loyalty, a strong work ethic, athleticism and fiscal responsibility. Boyd and Nancy were further blessed with the arrival of their sons’ wives and the growth of their six grandchildren. Boyd was a constant cheerleader for all their activities and was always there for good advice and support, as much a good friend as well as a devoted grandfather.
Boyd and Nancy were deeply involved with all the aspects of their children’s and grandchildren’s lives. They devoted themselves to the well-being of their clan.
Boyd’s extended tribe included his five siblings, their children, and also Nancy’s siblings and children. There was a strong web of family closeness that bound everyone together and Boyd was an essential ingredient in the family ties that exist today.
The legacy of Boyd’s experience was rooted in his childhood and young adulthood growing up in North Dakota. Boyd had great nostalgia for his often-impoverished background, because he cherished most the people he was with at that time, a simpler time of getting to know your neighbors of the prairie. If Boyd Peterson found out you had a connection to North Dakota, you had a good friend.
Boyd’s accomplishments in life were many. He was an excellent athlete, particularly in basketball. Even today, his exploits on the court are recounted in revered tones in Wild Rose. Boyd graduated from college to become a teacher, and that became his career. He was a very good educator, and particularly enjoyed having his students think about and engage in discussions about current events.
Boyd received a master’s degree in education from Colorado State. Boyd served honorably in the U.S. Army, and was very well-read regarding military history, particularly World War II. For a poor farm boy from North Dakota, Boyd followed his thrifty Scandinavian heritage to become financially secure, and made some wise investments.
Boyd and Nancy were able to enjoy traveling together, with a trip to Norway to visit his roots a notable highlight. They also very much enjoyed their “get-aways” to Diamond Point on the Olympic Peninsula. But, for all his life, Boyd’s greatest joy was to visit his North Dakota home. His happiest moments would be when he could go back home to Wild Rose and strut his stuff walking down Main Street on a “Wild Saturday Night in Wild Rose.”
Boyd Leroy Peterson is survived by his loving wife Nancy; his sons Kyle (Shawn), Michael (Lisa) and Todd (Cheryl); his grandchildren Dylan, Ryan, Lucas, Nikki, Hailey and Jessie; and also his sister Florence.
Boyd’s legacy will live on with his large family, and with the many friends he made through the years. A strong belief in family and friendship is what made Boyd Peterson the singular man he was. He was a simple farm boy from North Dakota who done good.
A celebration of Boyd’s life will be held at Our Savior Lutheran Church on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, at 4 p.m. A reception will follow at the Issaquah Senior Center.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Boyd’s memory should go to the Issaquah Senior Center or to Our Savior Lutheran Church.
Friends are invited to view photos, get directions and share memories in the family’s online guest book at www.flintofts.com.
— Flintoft’s Funeral Home and Crematory, 392-6444