Richard William "Dick" Peterson

Richard William "Dick" Peterson, age 78, of Asheboro passed away on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. He and his family moved to Asheboro, NC from Minnesota, and briefly Michigan, in 1972. He was known as "Bill" to his family and friends as a child and teen-ager in Minnesota. Dick is a graduate of Cotton Minnesota High School, University of Minnesota Duluth and Michigan State University. Dick served in the Air National Guard. His employment in Asheboro with the Randolph County Cooperative Extension Service began as the 4-H Extension Agent and ended as County Director after 25 years. Retirement was only an opportunity to continue involvement in The Community such as Kiwanis, Randolph Arts Guild, SAPA, his Church, and the Asheboro-Randolph Chamber of Commerce. A very important part of retirement also was continuing an annual High School Classmate Reunion – whether going or hosting. Maintaining traditions and family was very important. He loved life and people. He wants everyone to remember him like he was before he became seriously ill and that he was at peace when he took his last breath. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Joanne Oslund Peterson; daughters, Barbara Peterson Gilliland and Rachelle "Shelley" Peterson both of Asheboro; sister, Shirley Galanits and husband Steve of Waterloo, IA; and nephews, John, Ric, David, and Jim. He was preceded in death by parents: Edwin Peterson and Anna Messerschmidt Peterson. Mr. Peterson will lay in state at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro on Saturday, April 30, 2016 from 2:00 PM until Sunday, May 1, 2016 at noon. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 420 West Walker Ave., Asheboro with Rev. Connie Weaver and Rev. Brian Gawf officiating. The family will receive friends following the service until 4:00 p.m. at the church. Burial will be held at 4:30 p.m. at New Hope Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made to Old School Lives (with a memo to the Richard William Peterson Memorial Fund), P.O. Box 156, 9165 Highway 53, Cotton, MN 55724. Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro is serving the Peterson family.