Walter Leonard Petersen III

With hearts full of love and gratitude, we celebrate the life of Walter Leonard Petersen III, known by those he loved and served as Walt, Dad, PaPa Walt, and Mr. Walt.

Walt passed peacefully at Forsyth Medical Center surrounded by his family on January 14, 2026. Walt, 79, was born in Philadelphia, PA, on April 3, 1946, and was adopted as a newborn by Walter Leonard Petersen Jr. and Ella Nayman Petersen.

He has called Ashe County, North Carolina, home for the past 45 years having honeymooned there with his loving wife, Dee, in June 1980 and relocating to the county in October of the same year. He adopted Dee's 11-year-old son, Chris. He was able to fulfill a life-long dream in the fall of 1981 when he completed the building of his own home in Creston with the help of two local carpenters.

Walt served in the Air Force from 1966 to 1970 and subsequently graduated from Randolph Macon College, Ashland, VA in 1973 with a BS in Biology. Prior to moving to Ashe County, he worked a 3-state territory selling diagnostic products for Meloy Labs and General Scientific. Occupations after relocating to Ashe County included Quality Control Manager for Aus-Ben of Boone (a national art-focused company), and Quality Control Manager for Ashley Emergency Vehicles and Team Leader for Operation Christmas Child at Samaritan's Purse Headquarters in Boone. His love for Ashe County led him into Real Estate where he served clients for 35 years. He was honored to be President of the Ashe County Board of Realtors in 2006. He worked for several area firms before creating his own real estate firm and then retired in 2022. He loved working with people and helping them find their perfect mountain property…all the while making life-long friends.

Walt had a passion for serving others that included participating on numerous boards in the county including: Hospice of Ashe County (Initial Steering Committee and Board President), Ashe County Chamber of Commerce, Ashe County Home Builders Association, Ashe Memorial Hospital Foundation, Ashe County Volunteer Initiative, Ashe County Habitat (for which he was a co-founder and served as an ex-officio board member until his death).

Walt also volunteered with Ashe Memorial Hospital, Ashe Chamber Consulting Group, Christmas in July, Ashe Food Pantry, and was a Mentor at Ashe County Middle School.

In the last 10 years, he devoted his life to serving his three main loves: First Baptist Church West Jefferson (as Deacon and Co-Chair of the Properties and Space Committee, working to recreate the church spaces following Hurricane Helene), Ashe County Habitat, and Meals on Wheels. He truly loved serving the people of Ashe County. A common quote of Walt was: "How can I help?"

Walt is survived by his wife, Derenda [Dee] Louise Cox Petersen; son Christopher [Chris] Maverick James Petersen (Amy), grandsons Benjamin [Ben] David Petersen (Micaelah) and Samuel [Sam] Curtis Petersen (Grace), grand-daughter Hannah Mackenzie Petersen and his beloved Lab, Sawyer.

Walt had a tender heart for all living beings and a special love for animals. He was the man you saw stop his car and move various animals out of the road, so they wouldn't be crushed. He especially loved dogs and cared for 12 over the years, of which 5 were rescues.

He will truly be missed.

The family will receive friends on February 13, 2026 from 5-7pm at Boone Family Funeral Home.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held February 14, 2026, at 2pm at First Baptist Church, West Jefferson.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:

First Baptist Church, West Jefferson, NC; Ashe County Habitat; Or Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Kanab, Utah