Carroll “Dr. Pete” Peterson died July 15, 2016 at his home in Durango, Colorado surrounded by his loving family.
Carroll Valleen “Pete” Peterson was born December 30, 1929 to Swedish farmers, Wilfred and Axia Peterson, in Kost, Minnesota. He was known by his public face as Durango’s most active Barbershop singer or more often “Dr. Pete,” the character he defined, nurtured and created through a lifetime of influence over his students, colleagues, community and family. He made his way from the one-room schoolhouse in Kost, through the army during the Korean war years, on to the undergraduate program at University of Minnesota and finally completing a PhD at the University of Iowa where Victorian literature and the bawdy humor of Geoffrey Chaucer changed his life. He thought himself lucky, but truly created his own luck by making up his mind about something and seeing it through.
In 1953 he saw Maxine Wauson, a drop-dead gorgeous beauty of a woman, on the steps of the Bethany Baptist church in Colorado Springs and offered her a ride home. A year later they were married and embarked on a sixty-two-year honeymoon, settling in the Midwest and starting a family of four children. A chance encounter in 1967 pointed Pete and Maxine to Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. In 1968, the Peterson family moved to Durango where Pete spent his career in “the best job in the world” as a Fort Lewis College English Professor and Department Chair. Settled in this mountain town for life, they immediately set about forming deep roots and a lifetime of community presence. Here they raised their four children, restored a rambling Victorian mansion, and stuffed it to the seams with antique furniture, song, cheer and spirit.
Pete had wonderful sense of humor, a wry and ready wit, and treasured a good laugh more than almost anything. He loved to sing, hear others sing, teach, learn, keep order in his world and do the New York Times crossword puzzle. Pete and Maxine traveled the world and were gratified to be recognized by former students thousands of miles from home who had fond memories of Dr. Pete.
Dr. Pete is survived by his wife of sixty-two years, Maxine; son, Trent; daughters, Terryl Peterson, Laurel Harris and Janet Peterson; five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, one nephew, and a 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria, Pete and Max’s honeymoon car.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Fort Lewis College Foundation, Carroll V. Peterson Scholarship Fund at https://apps.fortlewis.edu/makeagift or Fort Lewis College Foundation, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO 81301; or to the Durango Barbershoppers at 1788 Trail Ridge Road, Durango, CO 81301.
A celebration of Pete’s life will be held on Wednesday, July 20, promptly at 4:01 p.m. in the Ballroom (SUN 212) at the Student Union Building at Fort Lewis College. Pete asks that people come wearing colorful clothing and not make it too somber.