Edward Charles Peterson

03/02/1953 - 07/01/2025

Edward "Ted" Charles Peterson, passed away suddenly on July 1, 2025, at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He was 72. A lifelong resident of Washington DC and its Maryland suburbs, Ted was born on March 2, 1953, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Dr. William Frank Peterson and Margaret "Peggy" Henderson Lee Peterson.

Ted grew up on Bolling and then Andrews Air Force Base, where his father was Colonel and Chief Medical Officer for Obstetrics and Gynecology. Ted attended Queen Anne School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland and later boarded at Kent School in Kent, Connecticut, where he was a standout athlete in basketball, baseball, and soccer. At Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, he emerged on the soccer field as a star goalkeeper. He set several records that still stand today, including the lowest goals-against average in team history. His fearless play and leadership included an undefeated season in 1974 and consecutive NCAA tournament appearances (and, notably, an upset of No. 4 ranked Penn State).

Ted's outstanding athletic career was recognized when he was inducted into the Bucknell University Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2024. This was an honor his teammates felt was long overdue, and one he clearly cherished. It was, he wrote recently, "something that I am quite proud of accomplishing given how sports have been in my life on so many levels." During the event, attended by many of his former teammates, he met the current Bucknell team and even helped "coach up" the goalkeeper to lead the team to another championship season and NCAA tournament. He had recently talked about how Bucknell soccer "might become something for me to participate in my retirement."

After his graduation from Bucknell, Ted returned to the DC area and joined with his former teammate, George Collins, to form a construction company, Peterson and Collins, Inc., in 1977. Together they created a team of loyal employees to build award-winning homes, with top architects such as Robert M. Gurney, Stephen Muse, Greg Wiedemann, and Hugh Newell Jacobsen. Ted's pride and joy was the most recent collaboration with Robert Gurney for the historic restoration of an I.M. Pei residence, which highlighted Peterson and Collins' commitment to superior craftsmanship. In over 48 years of business, Peterson and Collins has earned a reputation for excellence in modern construction, renovation, and historic restoration, and has been honored with many awards for their visionary work and attention to detail.

Ted married Letitia "Tish" Wilson Peterson in 1984 and cherished his role as a father to his two daughters, creating many loving memories with his family in Bethany Beach, Delaware and St. Thomas. One of his proudest accomplishments as a craftsman and father was building a custom modern house for his family on Quincy Street in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where his daughters grew up. Ted felt he had been blessed to "live in a work of art," and in recent years, he expanded upon his patronage of the arts, developing a passion for the Washington Color School, and assembling an important collection of artworks representing key artists in that movement.

Ted is survived by his sister, Margaret Lee Peterson Mallory (and her husband Frank Mallory) of Easton, Maryland; his daughter Caroline Paige Peterson (and her husband Gabriel Snyder) and a new granddaughter, Margaret Alma Snyder, of Baltimore; and his daughter Margaret Lane Peterson of Berlin, Germany. He also leaves behind his former wife, many relatives, and a host of friends and colleagues. Through his business and personal relationships, Ted made an indelible impression on those who knew him, and through his lengthy career added much to the Washington DC community.

Ted lives on in the memory of everyone who knew and loved him and were touched by his big heart and generous nature. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in Ted's memory to the Bucknell University men's soccer program, or to the charity of your choice.