Walter Peterson, age 89, went home to be with the Lord on March 4, 2024.  Walter Woodrow Peterson was born Sept 4, 1934, in Jacksonville, Fl. He joined the U.S. Army at 17 years old and served as a paratrooper with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team during the Korean War. After the war, he came back to the Jacksonville area, married, and started raising his family.  Walter was a plumber/pipefitter, working out of Local Union 234 in Jacksonville for 50 plus years. He installed the mechanical pipe systems in various buildings and hospitals throughout FL and GA, and also worked at Plant Hatch in Baxley, GA.  During this time, his 4 daughters became interested in horses and rode at saddle clubs in North FL and South GA.  Walter enjoyed cheering them on while making lasting friendships along the way.  In the mid 70's, Walter and his family moved to Alma, GA and later retired to Folkston, GA.

Some of his favorite pastimes included collecting cookie jars, reading military history, and researching family genealogy.  Once he learned to navigate the internet, in the early 2000's he was able to find many of his paratrooper buddies and hosted several reunions.

He moved to Ellijay, GA, in 2019 to live with his youngest daughter, Dana, and began perfecting his love of smoking and grilling meat. His latest projects were making bacon and beef jerky which he was doing right up until the time he went into hospice care.  Walter's greatest joy until the very end of his life was cooking a meal for his family.

Walter is preceded in death by his parents, Woodrow Walter Peterson and Louise Meredith Griffin, his wife, Patricia Wilcox Peterson, a daughter, Regina Peterson and siblings, Lawrence Peterson and Gladys Powell.

He is survived by daughters, Tracey Peterson Terwilliger (George), Dana Peterson Ware (Mike), Kimberly Dell Perdue (Craig); grandchildren, Margo Walton, Brittany Hughes, Jason Hughes, Mikayla McDonald, Allie Ware and Casey Ware; great-grandchildren, Cameron Ware, Carson Hughes, Braylin Hughes, Grayson Walton, Aiden Walton, and Tucker Hughes.

A graveside service we be held on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 2pm at Pine Level Freewill Baptist Church in Alma, GA.  In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to one of Walter's favorite charities, St Jude's Hospital.

Bernhardt Funeral Home of Ellijay, GA and Crosby Funeral Home of Alma, GA are in charge of the arrangements.