John Murray Peterson

John Murray “Pete” Peterson, 93, passed away at home on Friday, September 11, 2026, after a long illness. Pete was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, on December 6, 1932, to Russell John and Hilda Louise (McCoy) Peterson. After graduating from Kentucky Military Institute in 1950 and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1954, Pete often joked that he was institutionalized at an early age. He studied mechanical engineering and economics at MIT, and was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. After college, he moved to Akron to work at Goodyear Aircraft. While living at the University Club on Fir Hill, he started at Akron Law School on nearby East Market Street. Pete married Carole Joanne Vandersall on July 14, 1956, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, and their first daughter, Melissa Ann, was born in 1959. A second daughter, Jennifer Lynn, was born in 1962, shortly after Pete finished his law degree at the University of Akron.

From 1960 to 1965, the family relocated to West Chester, Pennsylvania, where Pete worked on ultrasonic welding at Aeroprojects/Sonobond. Returning to Akron, Pete started a 20-year career at BF Goodrich, where he applied his engineering and law training to international business development, traveling to nearly every continent to negotiate licensing agreements. In the mid-1970s, the family relocated again while he served as the managing director of BF Goodrich Australia in Melbourne. Before retiring in the early 1990s, he was director of purchasing and insurance for the University of Akron.

Pete was a true gentleman, who loved to read nonfiction—especially history—and spent many happy hours listening to classical music on the wall of sound he created at home. He filled his long retirement with good works as a faithful member and volunteer for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, recognized when Pete and Carole proudly shared the Spirit of St. Paul's Award in 2005.

Survivors include his loving wife Carole, daughter Jennifer and her husband Robert Dale Carter, grandson Owen Francis Carter, and granddaughter Leighton Prentiss Carter, all of Massachusetts. Predeceased loved ones include daughter Melissa and granddaughter Hadley Jane Carter.

The family thanks the dedicated, compassionate and loving support of caregivers from Senior Helpers of Northeast Ohio, who made it possible for Pete to spend his last years at home with Carole, and also to Cleveland Clinic Hospice for monitoring his condition and providing comfort at the end of his life.

The funeral will be at 1:00 p.m. on THURSDAY, October 1, 2026, in the Chapel and Memorial Garden of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1361 W Market St, Akron OH 44313. The family will greet friends in the parlor after the service.

In lieu of flowers please consider a contribution in Pete’s memory to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Endowment Foundation or Alzheimer’s Research at curealz.org.

Services in care of the Billow Funeral Homes and Crematory, Fairlawn Chapel, 85 N. Miller Rd. Fairlawn, OH 44333.