Mrs. Shirley A. (nee Bowman) Peterson, 91, died on Thursday, March 4, 2021 in Edison, N.J.
Services will be held on Tuesday, March 9 at 1 p.m. Service information available and condolences may be found at www.ProutFuneralHome.com.
A lifelong resident of Verona, Mrs. Peterson graduated from Verona High School with the class of 1947. In 1950, she graduated from Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing (now part of Bloomfield College) in Newark. Mrs. Peterson worked in hospitals, nursing homes, private duty, as a summer camp nurse and as a school nurse in Verona’s junior high school. Together with Dr. Mike Festa, Verona’s health officer, she set up the Sabin Oral Polio Vaccine program in town.
Mrs. Peterson was a member of the First Lutheran Church in Montclair, where she taught Sunday school, conducted the children’s choir, ran the Cradle Roll and was a longtime member of the church choir. She was also a member of the Verona Service League since 1968. Mrs. Peterson led an active life and enjoyed reading, bowling, golf and walking.
She was married to the late Sven “Pete” Peterson, another lifelong resident of Verona and director of Recreation as well as director of Athletics in town.
Mrs. Peterson is survived by her son Dean Peterson, a local plumber and daughter Pam Peterson, a dental office manager in Saugerties, N.Y. She is also survived by her brother Dennis W. Bowman, her grandchildren Sandra Peterson, Jamie Peterson, Kristina Schweizer, Robert Schweizer and Jason Schweizer; and great-grandchildren Molly, Peter, Andrew, Gavin, Blake and Aiyla.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Lutheran Church of Montclair, 153 Park Street, Montclair, NJ 07042 or the Verona Rescue Squad, 12 Church Street, Verona, NJ 07044.
