Michael B. Petersen

1936 - 2019

Michael Bernard Petersen, beloved husband and father, passed from this earth on May 15, 2019. He was born Feb 21, 1936, the son of immigrants. His father Matthew Petersen was from Denmark, and his mother Mary (Halloran) came from Yorkshire, England. Michael grew up in Hartford's Parkville neighborhood, attending parochial school and later Hartford High, where he played basketball and baseball. He also attended the University of Connecticut and the University of Hartford. In 1956, he began working for LIMRA (Life Insurance Management Research Assn), in their mailroom, rose up through the ranks and retired 44 years later as Managing Editor. He was a talented writer who, in the 1970s, occasionally wrote feature articles for the Hartford Courant's Sunday magazine, as well as speeches for Hartford area politicians and executives. His love of sports, particularly basketball and baseball, continued all his life, and he encouraged his children in both athletic and academic endeavors. He was an avid reader, particularly of intricately plotted mysteries and historical novels, and he faithfully completed the New York Times crossword puzzle every day. He and his wife Valerie traveled extensively after his retirement, visiting England, Italy, Central Europe, Egypt's pyramids, the Caribbean, and Hawaii; he particularly enjoyed the national parks of the Western US. He lived in Hartford and Manchester before he and Valerie moved to Pensacola, Florida, after his retirement.He is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 62 years, Valerie (Moskey); and six children: Kathleen Cecala and husband Frank; Virginia Roback and husband Kenneth; Matthew Petersen and wife Nancy; Laura Petersen and partner Robert Appleton; Christian Petersen and wife Deborah; Micaela Cornwall and husband Wayne, as well as eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Margaret P.V. Lassen of Cromwell, and numerous nieces and nephews. Friends and family may be received at 10:00 am on Tuesday, May 28th at the Manchester Country Club, with a memorial service at 11:00 and luncheon to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions in Michael's memory be made to the nonprofit charity Comfort Zone Camp (comfortzonecamp.com), a bereavement camp for children suffering from grief and loss.