Thomas Daniel Peterson

Tom Peterson passed away December 27, 2023, surrounded by his loving family at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. 

Tom was born on March 5, 1948, in Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado, to Edna and Pete Peterson in their cabin home, where he grew up with his older brother Bill and younger sister Nancy.

Tom embraced life by loving and living each day to the fullest. As an all-around badass mountain man, avid hunter, and legendary outdoorsman, he had a passion for tracking and outsmarting the cleverest of animals, especially coyotes. He took great pride and joy in teaching his sacred hunting and fishing techniques to his son, grandsons, and bonus sons. His respect for Mother Nature was unparalleled and inspired many.

Tom was a jack of all trades in his many years of work, including but definitely not limited to the Bureau of Land Management Firefighter Unit, Smokey the Bear Mascot, Pool Hall competitor/champion and bouncer, Professional Timber Logger, Heavy Equipment Operator and Boss on multiple Colorado construction projects, and Pond Operator at the Henderson Molybdenum Mine.

He humbly spread love and extended unsolicited and unexpected acts of kindness to others. He took special notice of good people and selflessly lifted many with his encouragement and personal mentorship.

Family time was Tom’s world. He loved bedazzling his granddaughters, hunting trips with his grandsons, fish fries, holiday gatherings, and those delicious Sunday morning pancakes and fried potatoes. He enjoyed and often shared pictures of a beautiful sunrise and sunset, thoughtfully composed his own poetry and words of wisdom, and graciously shared them, along with so many other life wonders, with those he loved. That was our dad, our grandpa, our great-grandpa, and our friend 110%.

Tom will forever be remembered and greatly missed by his loving family. 

Children: Thomas Peterson; Melissa Tamayo, husband Alonso; Teresa Howell, husband Allan; Anita Violett, husband Devin.

Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren: Jordan Lansville (Tamayo), husband Reese; Qynton Peterson, wife Jess, daughters Jasmine and Lily; Jessica Eubank (Violett), husband Kyler, son Baker; Trenten Tamayo, wife MacKenzie, son Alekai, and daughter Kahlea. Tom was reunited in heaven with his grandson, Ryan Violett.

Those whom Tom has reunited with in heaven include, but are not limited to: Father: Edgar Lincoln “Pete” Peterson, 1967; Mother: Edna Anna “Dutch” (Stolzenbach) Peterson, 2001; Brother: William “Bill” Peterson, 2006; Grandson: Ryan Violett, 2020; Sister: Nancy “Nan” Stuart, 2022.

Thomas Daniel Peterson: You’ve been welcomed into heaven. You’re a good, loyal, faithful, and devoted man. Go rest high on that mountain.

There will be a private gathering in Tom’s honor.