Obituary of Henry H. Petersen

Henry H. Petersen, 85, of Iowa City, died Thursday, January 12, 2017, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 pm Tuesday, January 17, 2017, at Gay and Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service. Private family graveside services will be held prior to the visitation. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made in his memory for the continued support of the Palliative Care Department at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics through the University of Iowa Foundation. Online condolences may be sent for his family through the funeral home website @ www.gayandciha.com. Henry was born in Nyborg, Denmark, the son of Holger and Elsie (Putning) Petersen of Racine, WI, on January 24, 1931. He graduated from Boy's Technical High School in Milwaukee. He served from 1951-1953 in the United States Army where he received specialized training with radio and microwave equipment in South Carolina and New Jersey before being sent to Tokyo, Japan, where he worked in communications for General Mark Clark. After his discharge, he came to Iowa City to study engineering at the University of Iowa. He worked in the central office for AT&T as a toll terminalman until the company split and then for Northwestern Bell, QWest and U.S. West for forty years until he retired in 1994. He was a member of the Telephone Company Pioneers of America. He married Nancy Peterson in Hampton, IA, in 1959. Henry was a multi-skilled craftsman, handyman and mechanic who designed, built and maintained a wide variety of projects. He read extensively, especially about history, railroads, tractors, science and travel. He was a man of few words but had a gift for recollecting details of any past experiences. He especially enjoyed family vacations in their camper to nearly every state. He had a lifelong enjoyment of fishing and retelling stories of large catches of Wisconsin bass, perch, and walleye. Henry is survived by his wife Nancy; sons Scott (Janet) of Round Lake Park, IL, and Craig (Mary) of Victoria, MN; special relatives Donald (Monica) Putning of Racine, WI, Caye (Ross) Christensen of Racine, WI, and Sue (Richard) Bergailo of Salisbury, MD; brother-in-law Jim Peterson of Hampton, IA; nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, aunt and grandparents.