George Peterson

George R. Peterson, WWII Veteran, A man of the greatest generation, was called home to be with our God and Father on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Born Saturday, May 9, 1925 in Minneapolis, MN to Anna and Harry Peterson, George was one of three sons, Harry Jr., and Thomas. Harry Jr. passed away at 10 years of age from Leukemia.

Growing up, George worked delivering newspapers, an usher in a theater, panned for gold, and at the age of 17, joined the Army Air Corp as an aviation student in Eau Claire college in Wisconsin. He went to gunnery school and upon completion was assigned as a tail-gunner in a B-17 crew. George served in the 15th Air Force stationed in Foggia, Italy. He flew 23 combat missions over Italy, Germany, and Yugoslavia and received the Air Medal as Staff Sergeant. He returned to the United States from Italy the very day a B-25 hit the Empire State Building in New York.

After his honorable discharge, George met Betty Lou Almgren. They married and were blessed to celebrate 60 years together.
George attended the University of Minnesota majoring in civil engineering. After graduation he worked as a project engineer for the N.Y. thruway.

George and Betty moved to Albuquerque where he worked for Sandia Corp. as a design and test engineer on nuclear weapons and satellite projects in the U.S. and South Pacific. He retired from Sandia Labs after 26 years of service. George and Betty Lou had three children, Paul, Mark, and Suzanne; five grandchildren, Hallie, Callie, Peter, Karen, and Hannah; and two great-grandchildren, Hank and Crosby.

George himself built a cabin near Pagosa Springs, CO where he spent many wonderful times with family and friends. He loved fishing and golf but above all he loved his family, friends, and country.

At the young age of 85, George married Barbra Blystra, a marriage made by divine intervention. He was a caring, loving, wonderful husband, father, and friend who loved to share stories of his many life adventures. George was proud to be an American and to serve the country he always loved and respected. He was interviewed by a Blue Star Mother for the Veteran's History Project and has a book in the Library of Congress. In June of 2019 George and his son, Mark experienced going on the HF0619 Honor Flight trip to Washington, DC. It was the experience of a lifetime thanks to the Northern N.M. honor flight people. A celebration of Operation Overloads 75th Anniversary Commemoration to D-Day 75th at the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC was overwhelmingly successful. George and wife, Barbra are residents of Manzano Del Sol, a home we have enjoyed for ten years together thanking God for the gift of life, for His love, and His many blessings. A special thank you to George's wonderful, caring nurses, Margarita and Kathy, who were always there ready to help in the day-to-day life of a man who will be remembered with so much love, honor, and respect. We will miss you George and will love you always. We will miss George. He was truly a man of the greatest generation.

In lieu of flowers please give to the Alzheimer's Association, Albuquerque Chapter www.alz.org/newmexico. Please visit our online guestbook for George at www.FrenchFunerals.com.

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