William Alfred “Bill” Peterson, 85, of Edgewater: Obituary

»Information from the George P. Kalas Funeral Home website.

William Alfred “Bill” Peterson, 85, a 15-year resident of Edgewater and previously of Milpitas, CA, passed away on July 6, 2016 at Baywoods of Annapolis.

Born on July 27, 1930 in Zanesville, OH, to the late Alfred and Mary Tribbett Peterson, Bill’s family moved to Staunton, VA, when he was very young. He served three years in the U.S. Navy as an E-4 Storekeeper stationed at Norfolk, VA, and throughout the Atlantic area. Bill had a 42-year career with United Airlines, working at the Reagan National and San Francisco International Airports.

He was a member of Mayo United Methodist Church, where he formerly sang with the Church Choir and was a member of the Board of Trustees. With a strong baritone/bass voice, Bill enjoyed singing in church choirs throughout his life and with the Annapolis Chorale from 2006 to 2011. He had a life-long interest in classical music, especially pieces for choirs.

Bill was also a loyal supporter of the American Red Cross which recognized him for donating 10 gallons of blood over 50 years. He had a shih tzu dog, Phoebe, whom he doted over for more than 10 years until her death in 2012. Bill loved beaches, and vacationed regularly at the Outer Banks and Myrtle Beach until the last years of his life. In his retirement years, Bill took several Caribbean and Pacific cruises with family and area friends.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, Sara “Sally” Ballance Peterson who died in 2003; a sister, Alfreda “Pete” Johnson and brother, John T. Peterson.

He is survived by his children, Alfred Spencer Peterson of Crofton, MD and Amanda P. Henderson of Edgewater; two granddaughters, Andrea P. Mattern of Clearwater, FL and Katherine P. Geimer of Oak Harbor, WA; and one great-grandchild.

Friends are invited to celebrate Bill’s life with his family from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12 at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 13 at Mayo United Methodist Church, 1006 Turkey Point Road, Edgewater, with burial immediately following in the church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Red Cross, 4800 Mount Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215 or Epilepsy Foundation (in memory of Sally), 8301 Professional Place East, Ste. 200, Landover MD 20785.