Andrew “Bud” Petersen, 90, of Mystic, died on Thursday August 17, 2017 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Born on June 24, 1927, in Brooklyn, NY, he was the son of Peter and Catherine (“Catrin”) Petersen.
He graduated from Sea Cliff HS in NY in 1946. At the age of 18, he served in the Army during WWII, stationed in occupied Japan.
He worked for the Long Island Lighting Co. for 42 years, retiring as a supervisor in substation maintenance.
On Nov 9, 1952, he married the love of his life, Elizabeth “Betty” Gardner. Together they raised 5 children in the shoreline community of Bayville, NY.
Bud’s favorite pastimes were home improvement and carpentry, gardening, bike riding, and swimming. His happiest times were spent vacationing with his family.
Upon retirement, Betty and Bud moved to Florida and purchased a home that they adored sharing with family and friends. He was an active communicant of Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church, and a member of the Knights of Columbus.
Following the passing of his wife after 60 beautiful years of marriage, he moved to Mystic to live with his daughter. He was loved by everyone for his kind and gentle nature.
Bud is survived by his son Andrew Petersen and his wife Renee, of Palm Coast FL; daughter Nancy Cowley and her husband John, of Glen Cove, NY; daughter Lori Calobrisi of Mystic; cherished grandchildren Lauren, Michelle, Amanda and Emily, and four great-grandchildren. In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by his sons Robert and Steven, and his sister Marie Walton.
The family would like to thank caregiver Michelle Galetta and the exceptional staff from the memory care units of Fairview SNF, Groton, CT and The Elms, Westerly, RI for the wonderful care they provided through his journey with Alzheimer’s Dementia.
A funeral mass will be celebrated at 10am, Monday August 21, at St. Patrick’s Church, 32 E Main St, Mystic. There will be no calling hours. Burial will be held privately in Florida.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org).
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