Ralph Peterson

Ralph Lawrence Peterson

1944-2026

Salt Lake City, UT -

On Friday, January 9, 2026, Ralph Lawrence Peterson, dedicated son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather passed away peacefully while sleeping at the age of 81. Ralph was born in Lewiston, Idaho on July 4, 1944, the eighth of the ten children of John Darrel and Marie Schmidt Peterson.

 After graduating from West High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ralph enlisted in the US Navy and was a veteran of the Vietnam War. After his proud service, he returned home and soon met Sandra Hatton. They fell in love and were married on February 6, 1970.

Ralph lived a life to be remembered, defining what it means to be a Family Man. After the passing of Sandra's mother, Ila, he moved her father, Norman, and sister, Judy, to their new home in Taylorsville, Utah. He cared for them both for the rest of their adult lives. Where a lesser man would have perceived a burden, he embraced it as a duty, and took special care of Judy, like a sister of his own, making sure she lived a long, happy, and comfortable life until her passing from COVID in 2020.

Ralph loved being a husband and father. His wife and children always knew and felt his love without question in word and endless deeds. He embraced the simplicity of peace in marriage easily found by routinely saying "yes dear" and then dutifully completing his "honey-do" list. He habitually was there to support and encourage his children and teach them in all phases of life to always Do Your Best and lived by gentle example to show them the way. 

 While ever frugal, he was the impeccable provider, perpetually taking care of the wants and needs of his family. He found joy in having fun with his family in engaging activities, whether at theaters, at swimming pools or water parks, while skiing, and camping, or playing board games at home or on countless vacations.

Ralph felt strongly about the importance of education. He repeatedly graduated at the top of his class as an Electronics Engineer Technician from Weltech College (1964), US Navy Electronic Technician "A" school (1965), and graduated from Utah Technical College (UTC) in 1977 with an AAS in Electronics with a 4.0 GPA. He then went on to work at and eventually retired from UTC, which became the Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). There, primarily over the parts room for the Electronics Department, he helped redesign the lab experiments and found a passion for practical teaching. He taught night classes in Math, Electricity, and Electronics and later helped teach correspondence courses for Union Pacific Railroad. He instilled his dedication to academic excellence in his children and sacrificed himself to help lay the foundation for their success in their own careers.

Ralph appreciated the virtue of hard work. From the age of 6 he sold newspapers on street corners and later had delivery routes; at age 13 he began working at Temple Bowling Alley; and at age 18 he started working for Hiller Bookbindery. He also helped his mother working at the family-owned Carol Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. As a young adult, he worked as a Stabro Laboratories employee for Litton Industries. 

Shortly after marriage, in 1972, he purchased a 4-plex in South Salt Lake which he owned, managed, and maintained over his life. He inspired his boys with his work ethic through his tireless example and expectation for their assistance at home and their rental properties, somehow finding time to run a family business after already having a full-time day job and part-time night job at SLCC. 

As a friend, neighbor, and throughout various callings as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and positions with the Boy Scouts of America, Ralph exemplified the values of service and charity. Do A Good Turn Daily was not just a slogan, but a way of life, ever ready to be there when anyone was found in need of help. For him, Choose The Right was instinctive and taken for granted as the only logical way, especially as he sought to fulfill his Duty to his Community and neighborhood, his Country, and by so, his God. His jovial nature and amusement from telling the best "Dad jokes", his fondness for entertaining, engaging, and uplifting conversation, and his general positive outlook on life spread happiness and laughter wherever he went.

For the last several decades of Ralph's life, he battled with Amyloidosis from presumed exposure to Agent Orange in the Vietnam War, with slowly advancing symptoms affecting his heart, spinal stenosis, and leading to dementia. In the early stages, he continued to be the primary caregiver for his wife who suffered from Parkinsons. Eventually his family was blessed to find Leti Mailau, who moved into their home in 2020, who compassionately cared for them, through Sandie's passing in 2023, until Ralph too eventually passed peacefully in his sleep in his own home. His family shares a special heartfelt thanks of eternal gratitude to Leti, now our sister and family too.

Now, Ralph has returned to his Eternal Home reunited with his parents, 5 siblings, beloved wife, and infant daughter Shantelle in heaven. He will be missed by his surviving family: his 4 siblings (Ilene, Delores, LeRoy, and Rodney); his boys, Marcus and Darrell; and his 2 grandchildren, Lincoln and Alexander.

A viewing will be held at 9:00 AM followed by a funeral service at 10:30 AM on Friday, January 16, 2026, at the LDS Church at 4252 S Bennion Rd, Taylorsville, UT. From there, interment will immediately follow at 12:15 PM at Salt Lake City Cemetery at 200 "N" Street. Gravesite is located in the Northwest corner of the cemetery. Enter off 11th Avenue through the first gate onto 920 East followed by the first right onto Wasatch Ave. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that you consider making a charitable donation to an organization to benefit other Veterans.

 For those unable to attend the Funeral Services, please click on this link https://zoom.us/j/96304747860?pwd=xN2tvXtfjZjHxRKuwHybVDWPi2D0Ms.1