Obituary: Peterson, Joseph L.
Joe was born December 29th, 1949, in Anchorage, AK and moved to the Spokane area in his early childhood.
His career spanned many industries, but his first jobs as a commercial fisherman and in construction provided opportunities for travel, which forever impacted his life, leading him to a successful career as a construction foreman in Saudi Arabia.
In 1981 he began a distinguished career as a police officer with the Spokane Police Department.
Joe was thoroughly passionate about his work as a homicide detective, which made it difficult for him to retire from the force, which he did in 2012.
He promptly left for an adventure in Australia and Fiji.
This year he fulfilled his lifelong dream of trekking through Argentina to fish in Patagonia.
Joe loved to learn and had an enthusiasm for life, which inspired others to live life to its fullest.
He was an avid outdoorsman with a deep understanding and respect for nature and his surroundings.
His passion for fly fishing was overwhelming and fly tiers loved to gift him their most prized flies.
He was so proud of his beloved children.
He is survived by Matt Peterson (Spokane) and Kimmy Peterson (York, Australia), his grand- son Joey Peterson (Spokane), his daughter-in-law Val Peterson (Spokane) and his future son-in-law Mick Johnson (York, Australia); sister, Sandra Warehouse (San Francisco, CA), and literally countless friends across the globe with whom he shared duck blinds, steaks, books, baseball and softball, rivers and IPA’s.
Friends and family will remember Joe for his love of life and his contagious laugh.
Joe encouraged each of us to go “all in” and do our best at any challenge that lay ahead.
He kept journals full of fishing trips and quotes that inspired his journey, including this favorite…”Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream.
Discover.”
~ Mark Twain Please join us in the celebration of Joe’s incredible life at a memorial scheduled for January 10, 2015 at 10am at Life Center Church on Government Way.