Annah Beth Peterson

1926 - 2017

Annah Beth Peterson
February 28, 1926 - March 7, 2017
Resident of Santa Cruz
Annah Beth Peterson, a Santa Cruz resident, passed away on Tuesday March 7 after an extended illness. She died just seven days after a 91st birthday celebration with family and friends.
Beth was born in Dallas, Texas on February 28, 1926, to Lacy and Faye Goostree. The family moved to Fort Worth where Beth attended primary and secondary schools. After graduation from high school, she enrolled at Southwestern University, a small college near Austin, before completing her degree at Southern Methodist University.
Following graduation, Beth's brother, Lacy Jr., introduced her to Norman Peterson, an engineer who worked with Lacy at General Electric. The two were married in October 1949, and spent their first two years in Chicago.
Norm's work with GE took them to Schenectady and Utica, New York, where sons John and Bob were born. The Peterson family then spent the next 11 years in California, first in Sherman Oaks, then in Palo Alto. During this time, Beth enjoyed the many family activities that California has to offer, including picnics at the beach, Little League games, and trips to Dodger Stadium and Candlestick Park.
In 1965, the family moved to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where Norm spent the last 14 years of his GE career. Beth took several courses in Early Childhood Education, which prepared her for a position with Philadelphia's Head Start Program as a preschool teacher.
Beth and Norm retired to Santa Cruz in 1980, where Beth joined the Cabrillo College Symphonic Chorus, a choral group that performed in the United States and in other countries around the world, including Moscow and The Hague. She also became an avid scuba diver, making dive trips to Tahiti, Palau and the Red Sea.
Beth will always be remembered as someone who lived life to the fullest with her positive energy, enthusiasm, and boundless spirit. She is survived by her sons John and Bob, daughters-in-law Jo Anne and Anne, grandsons Chris, Daniel, Brendan and Dennis, and great grandsons Reed and Oscar.


View the online memorial for Annah Beth Peterson