Eric W. Peterson ’69

GRAYS RIVER — Eric W. Peterson, 66, of Grays River succumbed to colon cancer on Aug. 21, 2013. Born in Old Town, Maine on March 25, 1947, he was the son of Herman and Evelyn (Wyman) Peterson. He graduated from Stearns High School in Millinocket, Maine and from Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine in 1969 as a marine engineer.

Eric married Nancy Watson in 1970 and moved to Washington state in 1972. He began his sea-going career in 1969 as an engineer with American Mail Lines and then as a chief engineer for American President Lines. He was an avid sportsman enjoying fly-fishing, salmon fishing on the Columbia River, and bird-hunting with his beloved dogs.

Eric and Nancy have three children: Trevor Peterson, his wife Heather and their daughter Abigail of Hillsboro, Ore.; Bror Peterson and his three children Carissa, Summer and Ryder of Fairview, Texas and Brent Peterson and his girlfriend, Allyn Cantor of Cannon Beach, Ore. He is also survived by three sisters, Donna Young, Laura Maloney and Susan Peterson as well as two brothers, James Peterson and David Peterson. Some of his closest “family” were other engineers that sailed with him over the 40 years he was in the maritime business. During the five years of his illness, they and their families were a constant source of encouragement, prayers and sea stories.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mark Thoreson at Shriners Hospital for Children-Portland, 3101 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239 in Eric’s memory.

Published in The Chinook Observer, Sept 3, 2013.