Obituary of Robert E. Peterson

Robert “Bob” Ernest Peterson, 82, most recently of Essex, CT, passed away on July 4th, 2021, after a long and difficult battle with Parkinson’s Disease. His loving sons, Rob and John, are eternally grateful that they were able to be holding his hands and telling him how much he was loved when he took his final breaths. His family is also tremendously thankful for the exceptional care and extraordinary support that was provided by his Caregivers and Essex Meadows. Bob was born on October 18th, 1938, in Hartford, CT, to the late Ernest and Ruby (Gilmore) Peterson. He and his sister, Dianne, grew up in Farmington and he attended the Taft School and Lehigh University. He was then later honored to attend the Taft graduations of both of his sons and three of his grandchildren and the Lehigh graduation of another grandchild. After Lehigh, Bob returned to Connecticut, joined Ernest Peterson, Inc., a roofing and sheet metal business founded by his father, enrolled in the US Army, earning the rank of First Lieutenant, met and married his former wife, Karin (Amport), and built a house that was a replica of the historic, 1720, Stanley-Whitman House, where they raised their two sons. While still in his twenties, he built a second home on Round Top in Plymouth, VT and skied there through six decades. Skiing would bring him to the tops of many of the world’s most majestic mountains in the Rockies, the Alps, British Columbia, even the Andes, yet he most enjoyed skiing the Green Mountains with his friends and family. He worked over fifty years at Ernest Peterson, Inc, serving as President, building a successful business focused on the highest quality workmanship and customer service that attracted the area’s premier aerospace, insurance, and institutional clients, and resulted in him being awarded the design and installation of Connecticut’s highest roof, CityPlace, the rehabilitation of the historic Old State House, and innumerable other prominent projects. Professionally he served as President of the Associated Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors of Connecticut, Connecticut’s delegate to SMACA, and was the Roofing Instructor for BOMA of Hartford. He was a member of the Freemasons, the Shriners, and the Royal Order of Jesters, where he served as Impresario. He was a member of the Farmington Field Club and a devoted member of the Hartford Canoe Club, and his family is immensely thankful for the many loyal friends that were developed and maintained there. Bob loved to travel and that took him on many adventures with family and friends to all fifty States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America. Bob was blessed with many successes, friends, and good times but he was most passionate about his family as evidenced by the abundance of enthusiasm that he put into spending time with his children and grandchildren. Bob was a force of nature and was constantly moving. He loved action sports, especially skiing, but also waterskiing and mountain biking. Even while well into his seventies, Bob was still schussing down double black diamonds, slalom waterskiing, and mountain biking in his cherished Vermont. Bob’s adventures were always a family affair and both of his sons and all six of his grandchildren found success in ski racing, were instilled with a lifelong love of skiing, and blessed with countless fond memories of chairlift rides with their Dad and their Pa. Bob was predeceased by his parents, Ruby and Ernest Peterson. Bob is survived by his two sons, Robert (Janetje), of Glastonbury, CT, and John (Christine), of Glastonbury, CT, as well as six grandchildren; Kramer, Cate, Karlea, Jack, MacGregor, and Jenevieve. He is also survived by his sister, Dianne (Malcolm) Ross, of Madison, CT, many nieces and nephews and his close friend, Martina Hamilton, of Old Lyme, CT, and her family. In Bob’s honor, a service will be held at 9:00am on August 21, 2021, at the First Church of Christ, 75 Main Street, Farmington, CT, where Bob sang in the choir as a young man, where he had both of his sons Christened, and where he always cherished their beautiful Christmas Candlelight Service. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a gift to the charity of your choice, in Bob’s name. To share a memory or express a condolence please visit, www.rwwfh.com. Arrangements are by the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, in Centerbrook.