Loved and Lost is a project about memorializing those lost to COVID-19 in NJ.
NorthJersey.com
This story is part of Loved and Lost, a statewide media collaboration working to celebrate the life of every New Jersey resident who died of COVID-19. To learn more and submit a loved one’s name to be profiled, visit lovedandlostnj.com.
George Petersen’s life was dedicated to teaching others invaluable lessons.
That applied both to his career as a reading specialist for Valley Middle School in Oakland for 34 years, as well as “teachable moments” with his sons, Jeffrey, Marc and David.
His vocabulary did not consist of such phrases as “I don’t know,” recalled his son Jeffrey Petersen. Instead he told “stories both subtle and nuanced, with just enough truth to be plausible, and by the time he finished, you were left wondering what your original question was and why it mattered,” said Jeffrey during his eulogy for his father, who died on March 30 at age 75.
Petersen was born in Paterson, where he was a member of St. Bonaventure Catholic Church. He lived in Clifton for 50 years until his death. He received his bachelor’s degree from Seton Hall University and his master’s degree from William Paterson University.
He was a skilled fly fisherman, a sport he’d mastered so thoroughly that he taught classes at the East Jersey Trout Unlimited, a community of over 700 members dedicated to cold water conservation and stewardship of local watersheds. He also served on its board of directors. In addition, he volunteered with the “Trout in the Classroom” program, setting up classroom aquariums all over New Jersey.
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Along with his love of teaching, he coached his sons’ little league baseball teams and worked tirelessly with Boy Scout Troop No.7 for many years. Despite his teaching load, his children never witnessed him grading papers. Instead, his family was his classroom every evening.
He was married to his wife Rita for almost 52 years. A one-time meeting through a mutual friend and six months of dating led to a lifetime of love, commitment and togetherness. The couple loved to travel. They loved the outdoors, especially camping with their sons.
They visited Ireland four times, and spent 40 summers in Maine.
But Petersen’s greatest treasures in life were his four grandchildren.
Shiqira Freeman is a student at William Paterson University.
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