"I will miss the wonderful Christmas letters that he would send updating me on the family. My condolences to Dave and Nancy. He was a remarkable man."
In loving memory of
Raymond F. Petersen
August 23, 1928 - June 9, 2018
Raymond Fred Petersen, passed away June 9, 2018. He was born August 23, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois to Louis and Emma Petersen. He attended Chicago public schools graduating from high school in 1946 after which he attended Illinois Institute of Technology for one year and Wright City Junior College for two years. On August 27, 1949 he married Charlotte Ann Munse in Chicago. He is survived by his wife, son David (wife Christine), in Greenwood, Indiana, daughter Nancy Petersen (partner Denise Smith), in Indianapolis, Indiana, six grandchildren, and twelve great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his great grandson, Shaun.
He was drafted into the Army on May 2, 1952. He had his artillery basic training at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas and was trained as a Radio Mechanic at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was sent to Korea where he was assigned to a Battalion Headquarters Company of the 279th Regiment, 45th Infantry Division for thirteen months. During this time his unit spent several months on an island just off the south coast of Korea as guards at a prison housing Chinese POW's on Jeju-do, an island south of the Korean mainland. He was promoted to Sergeant on December 24, 1953 and placed in command of the Battalion communications repair group. Leaving the island the unit was assigned to a relatively quiet sector of the so called front line until the signing of the Cease Fire Agreement. When the 45th Division was sent home he was transferred to the Headquarters Battery 58th Field Artillery Battalion of the 3rd Division. Three weeks later he was sent home to be separated from active duty at Fort Sheridan, Illinois on April 10, 1954.
Resuming civilian life he and Charlotte moved to Urbana, Illinois where he enrolled in the University of Illinois graduating in January of 1957 with a BS in Industrial Engineering. Once again they moved, this time to Crawfordsville, Indiana where he was employed as an Industrial Engineer at the Crawfordsville Division of R.R. Donnelley and Sons. The company, seeking to familiarize newly hired professional employees with company operations began giving them a quite abbreviated apprentice course in printing and bookbinding. Shortly after completing this training period he was assigned to the team evaluating printing equipment in the recently acquired Springfield, Ohio plant where Colliers magazine had been produced, shipping any wanted items to various Donnelley divisions and disposing of the rest. In 1960 he was offered the newly created position of Plant Engineer. He held this position until he resigned in 1966. For the next eleven years he was employed as a Mechanical Engineer by several consulting engineering firms in Indianapolis, investigating client problems and designing various heating, ventilating, air conditioning, plumbing, and fire protection systems for commercial, manufacturing, hospital, and military clients. In 1977 he accepted the position of Mechanical Engineer in the Physical Plant Department of Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). His duties involved investigating problems occurring in the various mechanical systems on the campus and recommending appropriate corrective measures as well as supervising the design team producing the plans for in-house building and mechanical system renovations. One of the highlights of his career at IUPUI was when he assumed the task of creating the plans for, and then helping in the construction involved in the conversion of the gymnasium of an old elementary school on campus into a theater with 289 seats on six carpeted tiers, an extended stage and an enclosed lighting/sound booth for the Theater Department. He decided to retire in March of 1996.
He was registered as a Professional Engineer in the State of Indiana specializing in building mechanical systems design. He was also a Certified Plant Engineer and a Certified Energy Manager. His professional memberships included Life Member, American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (2 terms as President of the Central Indiana Chapter), Life Member, American Institute of Plant Engineers, now known as Association of Facility Engineers(2 terms as Central Indiana Chapter President and 2 terms as Institute Group Director), Senior Member, Association of Energy Engineers(Charter Member and 2 term President of the Hoosier Chapter), Charter Member, Environmental Engineers and Managers Institute of AEE, American Society of Plumbing Engineers (4 terms as President of the Central Indiana Chapter) and two year member of the Steering Committee of The Indiana Mechanical Engineering and Contracting Exposition.
He was a fifty year member of Montgomery Lodge #50 F&AM and a member of Christ Lutheran Church, both in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
In accordance with his wishes, his body will be cremated and there will be no visitation or funeral service. Memorial gifts may be made to the Indiana Masonic Home.
To share a memory, please visit www.leppertmortuary.com.
Tributes
"I knew Ray during our years working at IUPUI, and worked with Nancy in our theatre department. He was always very friendly and helpful."
"I only knew Ray for a short time when I bought the house across the street from he & his wife in 2012. He was so nice and helpful and independent. I?m so sorry for your loss. Hugs & prayers to the family. "