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Darrel G. Peterson Cedar Rapids, IA QCWA # 32538 Chapter 123 |
DARREL GLENN PETERSON Cedar Rapids Darrel Glenn Peterson, 73, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, at home, surrounded by his loving family.
Public visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 8, at Zion Lutheran Church, 201 First Ave., Hiawatha, IA 52233. Private family services will be held at the church.
Burial at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
The family request masks be worn for the visitation and service.
Darrel Glenn Peterson was born May 21, 1948, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the second son of William A. and Agnes J. (Swalin) Peterson. He became a child of God and heir of the Kingdom through Holy Baptism on June 20, 1948, at Elfsborg Lutheran Church, rural Pomeroy, Iowa. Darrel grew up on a farm south of the town of Pocahontas, Iowa. While he often said he valued the work experiences and skills learned on the farm, his life-long career passion was electrical engineering. Upon graduation from Pocahontas High School in 1966, he enrolled in Iowa State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree, with distinction, in Electrical Engineering in 1970. His first job brought him to Olathe, Kan., designing radio communication and navigation equipment for light general aviation aircraft for King Radio Corporation.
In keeping with his long-standing family tradition of public service, he also was a member of the communication staff of the Johnson County, Kan., Civil Defense Office, and by virtue of that position also a reserve deputy with the Johnson County Sheriff's department. While living in Olathe, he was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church, where he met Victoria Soenksen from Davenport, a former parish worker at Redeemer. One thing led to another, and he and Victoria were married at Redeemer on July 1, 1972. Four children were born to this union: Janet, Eric, Joanne and David. In 1976 he accepted an offer from the Collins Government Avionics Division of Rockwell International in Cedar Rapids as a project engineer in the Cockpit Management Systems Department, with specialization in electronic display and video interface design. Darrel was a charter member of the Rockwell Collins Displays Center of Excellence and was selected as Engineer of the Year in the Display Center Design Department in 2003. While a member of the Display Center, he earned a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iowa. He also wrote and presented technical papers on display system and video interface design at several national electronics conferences and was named a co-inventor on a U.S. Patent for an airborne-qualified video interface. Upon retiring from Rockwell Collins in 2007, he accepted a part-time position with Softronics Ltd. in Marion, once again designing radio communication equipment, and finally fully retiring at the end of 2020. Darrel and Victoria became members of Zion Lutheran Church in Hiawatha in 1976, where he served in many elected and appointed positions over the years, singing in the Parish Choir, and employing his technical talents where needed.
In keeping with his career path, Darrel was an avid ham radio operator, an accredited volunteer licensing examiner, a longtime member of the Cedar Valley Amateur Radio Club, and served as the club's Volunteer Examiner Manager for 21 years.
Left to cherish his memory are Victoria, his wife of 49 years; daughter, Janet (Karl) Hoech of Cedar Rapids; daughter, Joanne (Todd) King of Omaha, Neb.; son, David (Lindsay) Peterson of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Annest, Andrew, Adalynn, William, Catherine and Oliver; and numerous cousins in northwest Iowa.
Darrel was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Charles; and son, Eric.
Due to allergies, the family requests no flowers.
Darrel's wish is that any memorials be directed to the ISU Foundation for the Martin Hatteberg Memorial Scholarship Fund at Iowa State University College of Engineering. Online condolences may be directed to the family at http://www.cedarmemorial.com under Obituaries.
Published by The Gazette on Jul. 8, 2021.