Jean Peterson

Melvin Peterson

On Monday, May 4, 2020, Melvin C Peterson (Mel, Pete), loving husband and father of five children, passed away at the age of 76 from complications related to Parkinson’s disease.

Mel was born on January 21, 1944 in Cumberland, WI to Arthur and LaVonne (Peters) Peterson. Shortly after graduating from Wisconsin State University, River Falls in 1967, he moved to Huntsville, AL to work for Boeing on the development of the Saturn V rocket. Upon moving back north to the Twin Cities, he began a career as a software engineer with UNIVAC that lasted more than 40 years and through multiple company name changes, including Sperry Corporation, Sperry Rand, and finally Unisys Corporation. He spent a number of years living in London, England and Zürich, Switzerland working directly with clients, and his intelligence, work ethic, and honesty earned him respect throughout his professional career.

Mel was quiet and kind, but his dry wit often slipped out with a quick laugh. Growing up on a farm, he quickly learned the value of hard work and self-sufficiency, and even built his first house with his own hands. He loved classical music, especially opera, and maintained season tickets to the Minnesota Orchestra for many years. He also enjoyed photography and his family genealogy, traveling to Sweden to research his origins. He was enormously proud of his work in the space program, and of the fact that his name was entered into the Apollo/Saturn V Roll of Honor, a copy of which resides in the Library of Congress. Mel was a longtime member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, where he enjoyed ushering for services. In retirement, he was an enthusiastic volunteer who delivered many meals for Meals on Wheels.

Mel was preceded in death by his father, Art, his mother, LaVonne, his brother, Martin, and his grandson, Brenden. He is survived by his wife Jean (Forsythe), children Nichole (Ryan) Berwald, Kristin (Thomas) Maulsby, Ann Lundholm, Carl (Libby), and Matthew (Meredith Landis), his sister Carroll (Collin) Stevens, his brothers Monty (Ilene) and Milton, and his five grandchildren, Chelsea, Jared, Logan, Henry, and Elliot, as well as many nieces and nephews.

He has been buried at Fort Snelling Cemetery in Bloomington, MN.

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Melvin Peterson

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