Kevin Gerard Peterson

Kevin Gerard Peterson was born in Anchorage, Alaska, on October 30, 1954. His dad, Howard, was in the Air Force, which would set the wheels in motion for Kevin's military career long before he was even conscious of it. The oldest of four, Kevin had one sister, Karen, and two brothers, Steven and David—all of whom moved around the world, as Air Force kids do. Alaska, Ohio, Hawaii, Spain, and Texas were all places that played very formative parts in Kevin's upbringing.

Kevin enlisted in the Navy in 1972, just at the tail end of the Vietnam War. He seemed destined to a life as "an enlisted guy," until he met Sheryl Fitzgerald, who would change the course of his life for the better. Sheryl's father, an army colonel, liked him immediately and saw officer potential. And before anyone knew it, Sheryl and Kevin were married on July 4, 1975, and Kevin became a chief warrant officer in the U.S. Army. The bond formed between father-in-law and son-in-law was unbreakable and would help direct Kevin's career both in and out of the military.

During his active duty tenure, Kevin received numerous commendations and awards, and even when he retired from active duty in 1983, the military was not far from his heart. He was active in the U.S. Army Reserves and served multiple tours during Desert Storm and Desert Shield—again receiving recognition for his exemplary service.

In addition to his military career—at which he excelled—he also was an outstanding engineer in the civilian world. His expertise crossed multiple specialties, including electrical, mechanical, nuclear, hydroelectric, gas and steam turbine, and more. Kevin, Sheryl and their daughter, Mychelle, moved around the country for various jobs, adding new pins on the map in Florida, Virginia, New York, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Georgia.

In 2002, as the family moved to Miami, Kevin was diagnosed with liver disease that included many complex twists and turns over the next 17 years. Throughout this time, Kevin's courageous mindset persisted, and even in his final days, he never gave up hope. He was the one who uplifted Sheryl and Mychelle when things seemed hopeless. He would not let people feel sorry for him, for he had lived an extraordinary life. Not a life without struggles or challenges, but a life full of adventure, meaning, and love.

Because Kevin didn't talk a lot about his military experiences, his family will never have a complete picture of everything he did, but thanks to some of his friends, they have a good idea of his commendations and designations. Looking at the photo above, anyone can see how decorated Kevin was. For a breakdown of exactly how decorated:

Left Side:

British Jump Wings

Navy Presidential Unit Citation (PUC)

Coast Guard PUC w/hurricane device

Army Meritorious Unit Commendation

Navy Unit Commendation

Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation w/star

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

Navy “E” ribbon x2

Republic of Vietnam (RVN) Gallantry Cross Unit Citation

RCN Civil Action Unit Citation

Right Side:

Navy/Marine Corps Jump Wings

Bronze Star Medal

Meritorious Service Medal

Army Commendation Medal x2

Navy Achievement Medal

Combat Action Ribbon

National Defense Service Medal x3

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal x2

Vietnam Service Medal w/2 stars

Southwest Asia Service Medal w/2 stars

Humanitarian Service Medal

Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/M device

Army Service Ribbon

Army Reserve Components Overseas Service Ribbon

Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/star

Army Sea Service Deployment Ribbon

Army Overseas Service Ribbon

RVN Cross of Gallantry w/palm

RVN Service Medal

Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)

Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Navy enlisted surface warfare qualification badge

Kevin's family is proud of him for all of these accomplishments, but his biggest achievement was being a husband and a dad. He didn't take those commitments lightly, and, just as he did during his military service for his country, he made many sacrifices for his family. Ultimately, the things Kevin did were always to support his family, honoring the vows he took 44 years earlier.

Kevin is survived by his bride and his daughter, both of whom are heartbroken. They take comfort in knowing his pain and suffering are finally over and hope their sweet family pups—Daisy, Candy, and Toffee—greeted him with wagging tails as he approached the Rainbow Bridge.

Mychelle takes special comfort in knowing that they fulfilled one of her daddy’s biggest wishes: a dream trip to return to his childhood home of Sevilla, Spain. Their trip began on September 29, 2018, one year to the day of Kevin’s passing.

Kevin's wishes were for a full military honors funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. However, the scheduling process is lengthy, and the service will likely be held in the spring of 2020. Updates will be posted, as many of Kevin's friends and colleagues have expressed interest in attending.

Sheryl and Mychelle have selected a few charitable organizations that were important to Kevin. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his memory to any of the following:

Pilots N Paws: https://www.pilotsnpaws.org/

Gary Sinise Foundation: https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/

Team Rubicon: https://teamrubiconusa.org/