Edwin Peterson

Edwin A. Peterson of Venice, FL, born Feb 21, 1927, New York, NY, died November 24, 2012. He was the only child of Edvin & Kerstin Petterson of Queens, New York. He served in the US Navy during WWII and graduated from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. He married Joan Schaffner on June 16, 1951. They were happily married for over 61 years.

Ed ("Pete") was devoted to his family, and above all to his wife Joan. He was the chief mechanical engineer for United Parcel Service at their headquarters in New York. His patented engineering designs for automated sorting and handling revolutionized the speed and efficiency of package handling for UPS through the 1960's and 1970's.

He had a great love of the water and sailing. They were members of the Sea Cliff Yacht Club on Long Island, New York. In 1979 he retired from UPS and they moved to Manasota Key in Englewood, Florida. Pete and Joan enjoyed traveling and visited many far-off corners of the world. They continued to enjoy sailing and were members of the Venice Sailing Squadron. Pete and Joan were long-time members of the Englewood United Methodist Church where they participated in the church choir, bell choir, and the church board. He volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, the Boy Scouts, Meals-on-Wheels, and the Manasota Key Turtle patrol.

His beloved wife Joan survived him by three days. He is now survived by their three children; Kim Peterson-Yantorno and her husband Bob Yantorno of Edgartown, MA, and Englewood, FL; Jill Harrison and her husband Ray of Hygiene, CO; and Mark Peterson and his wife Linda of Riverview, FL; five grandchildren; Matthew Hewitt and his wife Becky of Portland, OR; Kerstin Benson and her husband Jon of Westminster, CO; Joan Harrison of Hygiene, CO; David Peterson and Samantha Peterson of Riverview, FL and one great-grandchild, James Hewitt of Portland, OR.