Ronald "Pete" Peterson

1934 - 2018

Ronald "Pete" Peterson

Oxnard, CA

Ronald J. "Pete" Peterson was born in NYC on June 17, 1934. His parents were James Joseph Peterson and Else Ederle Moricca. He was a native of New York City and spent his childhood in Rye, NY where with his brother Donn he began his lifelong love of fishing and boating on the Long Island Sound. He attended Archbishop Stepinac High in White Plains, NY and as the football's team quarterback he led the team to a record-breaking winning season. In the senior poll, he was voted not only "Most Likely to Succeed" but also the "Best Looking Senior". He received a scholarship to Harvard University which he attended for two years. Taking a break from college, he enlisted in the U.S.A.F. in 1956 and served four years as Weapons Control System Mechanic working as interceptor fire control technician. He attained the rank of Airman Second Class. In 1957, he married Dixie Jabbs, with whom he had three daughters. Following military service, he enrolled at the University of Utah and received a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1964.

For the next 16-years, he worked for private industry at Hughes Aircraft, Teledyne Electronics, and IACI in Tehran, Iran. He was a project engineer for the space shuttle telemetry transmitter and the development of an airborne system.

Ronald married Catherine Borg on May 1, 1976. They moved to Ventura County and their Oxnard home in 1979. He worked with the Department of Defense at Pacific Missile Test Center Pt. Mugu, CA from 1980 until his retirement in 1994. Ronald received among others the PMTC Fellow Award in recognition of his work on telemetry airborne system principally with phased-array antenna design while working in the Telemetry Systems Development Division Range Engineering Department of the Range Director at Pt. Mugu, CA.

His many and varied interests included fishing, boating, rock collecting and tumbling, hiking, cooking, gardening, aviation, stamp collecting, photography, investing, reading, art museums, movies especially Johnny Depp movies, scripture, painting, drawing, card games and video poker.

He is survived by his loving wife of 42-years Catherine A. Peterson, his children Suzanne Gauthier Hill, Kathryn Peterson (Mark Finch), Jennifer Peterson, Maureen L. Borg, Paul J. Borg (Susan), his step-sister Carmen Hilden, his grandchildren, Nicole Reanne Tharp, Jon LaDrue Gauthier (Raelynn), Sean C. Moore, Kelly E. Hill, Dana E. Moore and his great-grandchildren, Killian Paul Williams, Edward LaDrue Gauthier and Amari Verandi Arthen-Cheyne. He was a surrogate grand-father to Victor and Brian.

Ronald passed away peacefully in the company of his wife Catherine at St John's Hospital on January 9, 2018. A Funeral Mass will be held at the San Buenaventura Mission Chapel on January 25 at 11:00a.m. A reception and life celebration will be held after the Mass in the Mission gardens. In lieu of flowers contributions in his name to St. Jude Research Children's Hospital will be appreciated.