Obituary of Byron C. Peterson

Byron Carl "Barney" Peterson was born August 17, 1926 in Macedonia, IA to Carl E. & Gladys (Keast) Peterson and passed from this life in Tulsa, OK at the age of 88. He was a US Navy veteran of WW II and Korea, and graduate of Coe College. He married Florence and moved to California to attend Cal Aero, where he also started his family. In 1953 he moved to Tulsa to work for American Airlines, where he worked as an AP Mechanic and Inspector until his retirement. He lived his life as a person in constant motion always working on one project or another. Following his career at American Airlines, he continued his passion for airplanes by building an ultra light experimental airplane and finally his dream plane, a WWI German Fokker DVII. His plane was used in the movie “The Aviator” and is now on display at the WWI Biplane Museum in Virginia Beach, VA. Barney built several other planes, one that is on display in Japan and a Fokker DVII that is on display in a museum in Denmark. His craftsmanship was not limited to just planes; he also made handmade scale cannons, exquisitely crafted jewelry boxes, ceramic egg Christmas ornaments and fireworks for the family to enjoy. It seemed to those who knew him that there was nothing that he could not do. More than anything he was a man of immense love with extreme devotion to his family. While he has taken that next step and is no longer with us, he will always be present in our hearts showing us that with love nothing is impossible. Barney was preceded in death by his parents; his three wives, Florence (Roman) Peterson, Irene (Batterman) Peterson, Donna Doreen (Deen) Peterson; and his daughter-in-law, Joyce Peterson. He is survived by his children and their spouses, Jeff & Gail Huber, Tricia & Dean Martin, Gina & Ken Jones, Robert & Julie Huber and Paul Peterson; 14 grandchildren; 23 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with family receiving friends from 5-7 p.m. Friday at the Ninde Brookside Funeral Home. Memorial service 1:00 p.m. Saturday at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church. Contributions in Barney's name may be made to either Tulsa S.P.C.A., 2910 Mohawk Boulevard, Tulsa, OK 74110 or Hospice of Green Country, 1120 South Boston Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74119. Ninde Brookside Chapel ninde.com 918-742-5556