George N. Petersen

1932 - 2015

George Petersen died at home in the early morning hours of Aug. 6, 2015, with family members by his side. He died from myelodysplastic anemia but suffered bravely from multiple illnesses during the last 15 years. A celebration of his life will be held at O'Malley's on the Green in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 16, 2015, at 3 p.m. His ashes will be scattered in his beloved Alaska at a later date. George was born on Dec. 10, 1932, to Mabel and Soren Petersen in Alvo, Neb., and spent his childhood there and in Fremont, Neb. At age 17, he joined the United States Army and served on the front lines of the Korean War. He finished his military service in Chicago, Ill., where he met and married Rosemarie Glass. They had three children: Michelle, Scott and Victoria. He returned with his family to Fremont, Neb., where they lived until their move to Alaska in 1969. In 1976, he married Judy Drake Rath who he met in Hawaii on a vacation and became a dad to Jeff Rath. They were able to make many return trips to Hawaii and took their last vacation together to Maui in March of this year. George was a life long Teamster and worked on many construction projects through out Alaska, including the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. He worked several years for M.B. Construction and retired from the Transit Division of the Municipality of Anchorage. During retirement you could find him almost daily at the counter of Jackie's Cafe, enjoying discussions with his friends. He had a wide circle of wonderful friends through out the country. He loved to golf, despite the frustration the game caused him. In addition, he enjoyed doing the daily crossword puzzle and often read up to five books in a week. But most of all, he loved being with his grandchildren. His face would light up as they entered the room. George had a booming contagious laugh and a frequent smile on his face. He was a hard working honest person who believed in getting the job done and talking later. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Judy; his children, Michelle Williams of Anchorage, Scott (Amanda) Petersen of Mechanicsburg Penn., Victoria Bernard of Boise, Idaho, and Jeff (Barbara) Rath of Anchorage; and his grandchildren, Jennifer Williams, Ian (Andrea) Williams, Sara and Emma Petersen, Jake and Steven Bernard and Teresa and Tanner Rath. He also has three great-grandchildren, Nekai, Konner and Ashlynn Williams; and three step-grandchildren, Chelsie Rodriquez, Jannay Harmon and Kiki Rodriquez-Smith. The family requests memorials be made to Providence Hospice, 4001 Dale Street, Suite 101 Anchorage, AK 99508.