Ross Peterson

Died 9/23/2018

Ross W. Peterson of Portland, Oregon., died Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, from complications of Parkinson’s disease.

Ross was born Nov. 15, 1939, in Marshalltown, Iowa, to Max and Leona (Norris) Peterson (later Siglin). The family later settled in Lewiston, where Ross graduated from Lewiston High School in 1957. He received a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Idaho in 1961 on a Navy scholarship, and was an active-duty officer until 1964, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. He continued his military service as a Naval Reserve officer, retiring as a commander after 22 years.

His career path took him to the Public Works Department for the city of Portland, and he served there as director of wastewater treatment, later retiring from the city of Albany Public Works Department.


Ross married Linda Crum on Aug. 14, 1965, in San Francisco after a whirlwind romance, and became the father of two daughters, Rose and Sonja. The family moved to Oregon in 1970, living in Portland and Salem.

He loved jazz music and was a drummer in several bands in his younger years. He was a skilled woodworker who loved camping and other outdoor adventures, storytelling, reading and discussing far-ranging topics of interest and cooking.

He is survived by his wife, Linda; daughters Rose (Tony) Cunningham of Tulum, Mexico, and Sonja (Ryan) Somerville of Salem, Ore.; grandchildren Joel, Anna, Abigail, Rebekah and Sarah Cunningham, and Jane and Alice Somerville; one brother, Al (Babette) Peterson of Lewiston; nephew Matthew Peterson and nieces Rachelle Johnson and Megan (D.J.) Spence of Lewiston; and stepbrother Terry (Christy) Siglin of Coos Bay, Ore. He was preceded in death by his mother and his father.