In Memoriam: John D. Peterson (1914 - 2012)
NAFA Alumnus and Distinguished Service Award recipient (1983) John D. Peterson died on Christmas Eve, 2012 just one month short of his 99th birthday. He had been a NAFA member for 45 years.
John’s career encompassed ten years in the theatre supply business and 27 years in the leasing business. He started at First National Lease in Portland, OR in 1957. Prior to these work experiences, John served at sea for three years as the commander of naval contingents on three Liberty ships; he offloaded Marines and supplies at Iwo Jima, Saipan, Guam, and Okinawa and literally circled the earth at sea.
In 1966 Peterson established and ran Georgia Pacific Leasing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Georgia Pacific. In 1972, he would move on to establish and become President of Weyerhauser Fleet Management.
John was a major proponent of the fleet industry and its supportive associations: he served as President of CATRALA (Car & Truck Rental and Leasing Association) 1972-1978; as President of AFLA (Automotive Fleet and Lease Association) in 1979, and had been a member of that organization since 1969. He would receive AFLA's John McGarvey Award in 1986 for his continued efforts in fleet.
Retiring in 1981, John enjoyed his time in his lifelong home state of Oregon. Betty, his wife of 64 years, passed away in December, 2006. He is survived by his four children and their spouses of 25 or more years: Chuck and Marvelu, Rick and Lynne, Marnie and Joe, and Bill and April. He also leaves behind five grandchildren: Brant and his wife Jen, Leah, John, Daniel, and Katya, and one great grandson Jeremiah.
According to his wishes, a funeral service will not be held. Contributions in his memory may be sent to Rotary International at www.rotary.org/contribute or at The Rotary Foundation, 14280 Collections Center Drive, Chicago, IL 60693.
On the eve of his passing, John Peterson penned a message regarding his life experiences, which was later published in the Portland Tribune/Lake Oswego Review. You can read his message by clicking here.