Moton (Pete) Harry Peterson, Jr

Jesus reached down and took Pete’s hand; he is HOME IN HEAVEN.

His Worldly Life Journey was complete and his ETERNAL Life began.

Pete was born in Roanoke, Virginia on 02 September 1944.  He was Christened at Melrose Methodist Church in Roanoke when he was 6 weeks old. He was raised in a loving and Christian home, and learned his Faith from his parents, grandparents, extended family and “friendmaly” for his entire childhood. He was Baptized when he was 12 years old at Friendship Methodist Church in Crestview, Florida.

He graduated from Pensacola High School in 1962 in Pensacola, Florida. After high school he attended Pensacola Junior College, and worked with his father in the Concrete business. He enlisted in the US Army at the beginning of 1966. He was selected Officers Candidate School and graduated from Signal Core OCS 14 Dec 1967. The friendship bonds that developed in that Class were lifelong; they had “Class Reunions” throughout the years to meet, remember and share their Faith and comradeship.  He served 2 tours in Vietnam receiving 3 Purple Hearts during that time.  His last assignment in Active Duty was in Kilbourne Kaserne, Schwetringen, Germany.  He was released from Active Duty on 13 Dec 1972. He remained in the US Army Reserves retiring after 30+ years of service.

Pete worked for the US Army Civil Service in his civilian life after leaving Active Duty.  His last Civil Service position was as a Plans and Programs Officer at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Pete “retired” in 2003 and moved from Atlanta to Ft Walton Beach, FL. 

He moved his Church Membership to St Marks Methodist Church in Crestview, Florida.  Pete was an active member of the Church until his death. St Marks, became a member of the Crosspoint United Methodist Church family and was renamed Crosspoint South Crestview Campus in 2012.

For the first 10 years of retirement he traveled across the country, doing the “leg work” to research the Peterson Family History.  He visited courthouses for birth, marriage, death and property records which he scanned or photographed. He shared this information in The Peterson Family Story that he published in 2013.  During his journeys he also visited friends, historical sites and “golf courses” along the way. 

In December of 2013 he was diagnosed with a non malignant tumor in his spinal cord, and in the spring of 2014 had rotator cuff surgery, these two health issues forced him to give up golf and concentrate on bowling.  He became an active member to the Emerald Coast Bowling Association and spent many hours in the Association Office, maintaining League Records, and coordinating Tournaments.  His travels became attending the bowling tournaments across the country, making new friends and visiting with old ones.  He attended and bowled in his last tournament in August of 2019.

He began sharing a Daily Devotional via E-Mail and later Facebook with his many friends later in the spring of 2014. He continued his Daily Devotionals until his last post on 17 April 2020 when the Neuropathy in his hands prevented him from using the keyboard and his diminishing vision would not let him see the screen

Pete went HOME with God 4 Jun 2020. He was a true man of God and will be greatly missed by all.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Moton Harry Peterson Sr and Frances Carlyle Anderson Peterson.  He is survived by his sister Elizabeth (Libby) Moseley, brother in law Ken Moseley, nieces Kim Harrelson and Laura Moseley. 

There will be a Celebration of Life Service for Pete at Crosspoint, South Crestview Campus, 2250 PJ Adams Parkway, Crestview Florida on Thursday 11 Jun 2020 at 2 PM.  Due to the Covid issues seating in the Church will be limited to 75 people.  The Celebration will be live streamed at https:facebook.com/crosspointsouthcrestview. For those who cannot be in the Church or access the live stream the Celebration will be videotaped and shared.

There will be a family only Graveside Service at the Pineview Memory Garden Cemetery in Selma, Alabama where he will be buried next to his parents.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to The Children of Crosspoint Church or the charity of your choice. 

To make donations to The Children of Crosspoint Church by check please make the check payable to: The Children of Crosspoint Church.  The mailing address is:

Crosspoint United Methodist Church

Attention: The Children of Crosspoint Church

214 Partin Drive South

Niceville, Florida, 32578

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