Reuben "Pete" Leroy Peterson

Reuben was born to Olaf Reuben Peterson & Mary Harriett Yandell in Gresham, Oregon on October 3rd 1927. He grew up in Gresham and attended Gresham High School and worked during school for several local Gresham businesses including Piggly Wiggly, Miller Kidder Hardware and others. Reuben was known as “Pete” to everyone from a young age, and the nickname stuck for a lifetime. He enlisted in the US Coast Guard 1945-1948 and was a Radioman on several USCG vessels based out of Alaska. After his service he returned to Gresham.

Always a car man since he was a teenager and constantly working on cars for himself or others, in 1950 he landed an auto mechanic job at McRoberts Ford in Gresham with his life-long friends Ray Chaney, Jim Lancaster, and Andy Anderson and launched his future Automotive career.

In December 1951 Reuben married Crystal Bebb, a marriage lasting his lifetime.

He was hired in 1957 as a Claims Administrator for the Oldsmobile division. While working for GM the family moved in 1963 to Concord California.

He and Crystal took a big leap of faith in 1970 after 13yrs he quit his job at Oldsmobile and moved back to Oregon to be founders of Gresham Toyota along with Ray & Bettie Chaney as a family business where they all worked daily. Reuben was known as a fixture at the business by everyone for 42yrs, visiting the dealership almost every day even though he retired from active management in the early 1990's. Pete was known as a master fix-it man, a true master mechanic and handyman extraordinaire. He could usually be found fixing whatever was broke around the facility, and giving out his advice up until the sale of the Gresham Toyota business in 2013.

Reuben spent many great summers with friends at Lake Shasta, later Pine Hollow Reservoir with winters in Apache Junction Arizona and later moving to Palm Springs California. An avid outdoor sportsman Pete would plan all year how to spend time with his friends boating, hunting, and fishing. He enjoyed many car shows with his grandson to display his Toyota Landcruiser. He loved his family, his hobbies, and always enjoyed being with people. He would fix almost anything for anyone and gave things away often surprising people, saying up till the last days that he still has more “stuff” to do.

He is survived after 88 great years by his wife, Crystal; son David, sister Bettie Chaney, brother Walt Deardorf, and 2 grandchildren with 5 great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home, 520 W. Powell Blvd. in Gresham, Oregon.