Richard Lee Peterson

Richard Lee Peterson was born in Spencer, Iowa, April 20, 1937, to Myrtle and Richard Peterson. Dick died peacefully on June 21, 2026, at the age of 89. He is survived by his wife Pat, daughter Corinne and husband John Moore, sister-in-law Marilyn Konkler and husband Bruce, nieces, nephews, and their families. He is preceded in death by his beloved son Rick who died in 2014, his brother William H. “Bill” Peterson and sister-in-law Carol Peterson.

Dick graduated from Ortonville High School, where he led his basketball team to the state tournament. He attended Hamline University, where he played in the national small college tournament. It was also where he met Patricia, the love of his life. Dick graduated from Hamline with a degree in physics and math, and then attended the University of Minnesota, where he received a PhD in Education.

Dick spent his career in education throughout Minnesota as a physics and math teacher, basketball coach, guidance counsellor, principal, and superintendent of schools in Lester Prairie, Two Harbors, Hallock, Chisholm, and Sanborn. He worked for the Educational Services Cooperative Unit and was on the faculty of Mankato State University. He then worked on federal programs at Southwest Minnesota State University, and completed his career at the Minnesota Department of Education.

Dick was a loving family man and mentor to many. He was a scoutmaster in Boy Scouts and a leader and longtime volunteer in Toastmasters. He loved fishing with his son and spending time on the lake with his family at the family cabin.

Dick’s curiosity carried him throughout his life. He loved talking with family and friends, and hearing the latest updates. He was a student of genealogy who researched his family tree back to the early days of the United States and Sweden. He enjoyed reading (especially in his book clubs), singing at church and in his community, and listening and playing music. He also was an avid basketball fan who never missed a Gophers, Lynx, or Timberwolves game. He loved traveling in the US and around the world with Pat and his children.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 27, at 1:00 pm at Hamline United Methodist Church, 1515 Englewood Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55104.