Dan W. Peterson, 77, teacher and educational statesman, died March 19, 1994 at home in American Fork.
He was born in Pleasant Grove, Utah, on April 7, 1916, the youngest child of Martin and Martha Larsen Peterson. His seven brothers and two sisters preceded him in death.On January 12, 1940, he married Maxine Walker, his high school sweetheart in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. She was his best friend and companion through the years. He attended public schools in Pleasant Grove through his high school graduation. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Brigham Young University, and later received his doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Utah.
He taught speech and English at Pleasant Grove High School, Wasatch High School, and Lehi High School, before being made Principal of Lehi High, a position he held for more than four years. In 1959, he became Superintendent of the Alpine School District, a position he held until 1980. While superintendent, he led the district in forty-one major school construction projects. This large number of building projects was made necessary because of the rapid growth in student population and the obsolescence of all of the older school buildings in the area.
In 1980, he became the Executive Secretary of the Utah Society of School Superintendents, a position he held for three years until his retirement. For many years, he taught as a guest instructor at Brigham Young University whenever he could find time that he could be away from his district assignments. Dan had two part time jobs that he enjoyed. From the time that he was a kid in high school, he played the bass fiddle in dance bands. While he was a classroom teacher, he worked during the summer months as a fieldman for the Pleasant Grove Canning Company. He often said that of all of the many jobs that he ever held he enjoyed teaching the most.
He was always active in the LDS Church and served in all of the auxiliaries, the bishopric, the high council, and as a teacher of adult courses for more than twenty-five years. He and his wife were called to the International Mission in Nairobi, Kenya, during 1983 and 1984. Several of the young men they worked with in Kenya served missions for the church in the United States and are frequent visitors in their home.
In connection with his school work, he was called to many related leadership positions. He was president-elect of the Utah Secondary Principals organization, president of the Utah Society of School Superintendents, vice-president of the Utah Congress of Parents and Teachers, for fifteen years he was on the Utah County Board of Health; he represented the educators of the state on the Far West Laboratory Board for Educational Research and Development where he eventually served Chairman of the Board, which was centered in San Francisco. He served on the executive board of the Utah County United Way and several other similar assignments.
Dan was honored by many organizations for his contributions to education both locally and nationally. Among those organizations that honored him were the Utah School Boards Association, the Far West Lab for Educational Research and Development, the Brigham Young University Communications Department, and the Y's Department of Education, and The American Association of School Administrators.
He was a guest speaker on educational administration to many groups across the nation. He wrote several articles on school administration that were published, and he wrote the ABC'S of Boardsmanship, the handbook for Local School Board members of the state.
His hobbies included fishing, rockhounding, golf and reading. He was a member of the Alpine Country Club, where he at one time served as president. While living in Nairobi, Kenya he was a member of the Muthaiga Golf Club.
He is survived by his wife of fifty-four years; two sons: Brent D. Peterson and his wife Arlene of Orem, Utah; M. Van and his wife Lynn of Houston, Texas; two daughters, Mrs. Robert S. (Toby) Adamson (Ann) of Highland, Utah, and Mrs. Robert (Ada) Eckles of American Fork; 19 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one grandchild.
Funeral services will be Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. in the American Fork 8th Ward, 300 North 100 East. Friends may call at Anderson & Sons Mortuary, 49 East 100 North, Tuesday 6-8 p.m. and Wednesday at the Church one hour prior to services. Burial, Pleasant Grove Cemetery.
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