Floyd Henry Peterson Jr. of Moscow died Tuesday at Good Samaritan Village. He was 80.
Floyd was born July 10, 1928, in Chicago, Ill., the only child of Floyd Henry Sr. and Winifred Claire Garvin Peterson. The family moved to Elmhurst when Floyd was very young and he graduated from York Community High School in 1946. He immediately enlisted in the Navy and served in the Atlantic Fleet Band aboard the U.S.S. Pocono until his discharge in 1948.
Following Navy service, Floyd attended Northwestern University on the GI Bill, earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees in music. He was the clarinet instructor for one year at the University of New York at Fredonia prior to being selected for the Denver Symphony in 1954. It was in Denver that he met Jeanette Marcene Venske on the tennis court. They were married June 11, 1955, in Belle Plaine, Minn.
Realizing that he enjoyed chamber music and teaching more than the orchestra, Floyd landed an assistantship at Indiana University and earned his doctorate in music education. Thus began his life-long career in higher education which included teaching and administrative positions at DePauw University, Nebraska Wesleyan University and the University of Idaho, where he was hired in 1969 as the director of the school of music. He returned to teaching in 1980 and retired from the UI in 1988.
Floyd belonged to a number of professional organizations and enjoyed many interests in addition to his music. In earlier years he was an avid golfer, a fairly accomplished carpenter and a licensed pilot. Upon moving to Idaho he focused on bird hunting with his trusty German Shorthair, Pepper, and took up fishing again. Floyd passed on to his sons his love for the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing and they often reminisced about a trip to Yellowstone when the fish nearly jumped into the boat. The family did a great deal of camping through the years, and Floyd and Jeanette once took a seven-week trailer trip across the country, during which they were caught in a South Dakota hailstorm that left the RV permanently dimpled. They also made numerous trips to England and once toured Spain, Italy and France. In retirement, Floyd and his pool cue became afternoon regulars at Mingles pool hall, or if he wasn't in town he could often be found up on the St. Joe River "wetting a line."
Most notable in Floyd's later years was his passion and talent for photography. He studied with Ansel Adams and developed a similar expertise for black and white photographs of nature and landscapes. He and Jeanette founded the Haystack Gallery in Cannon Beach, Ore. Several of his most popular photographs are of Oregon beach scenes. His work has been exhibited in numerous galleries in Idaho, Oregon and California. Upon retiring from the art gallery, Floyd remained busy with photography and operated a framing studio in downtown Moscow for several years.
Floyd left his family the wonderful gift of documenting his life story while his mind was still sharp. Written with the wit and dry humor that those who knew him loved, it includes wonderful tales of his growing-up years, getting his first job at age 12 caddying at the Elmhurst Country Club, hitchhiking around the country as a young adult and various other memories of boyhood exploits, college friends and many life lessons.
Floyd is survived by his wife of 53 years, Jeanette, at their Moscow home. He is also survived by his three sons, Cris of Moscow, Jeff of Vancouver, Wash. and Kevin and wife Anne of Moscow. In addition, he leaves three cherished grandchildren, Ryan Delacour and Amy and Kyle Peterson, all of Moscow.
Viewing will be from 2-7 p.m. Thursday at Short's Funeral Chapel in Moscow. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Short's Funeral Chapel, with Pastor Gordon Braun officiating. A private graveside ceremony at the Moscow Cemetery will precede the service.
The family would like to thank the nurses and staff of Good Samaritan Village, Gritman Medical Center and Aspen Healthcare for their kind and caring treatment during Floyd's final years. Memorials may be made to the Lionel Hampton School of Music or the Salvation Army. Online condolences may be sent to www.shortsfuneralchapel.net.
