Ray Wilson Peterson

Chester Mr. Ray Wilson Peterson, Jr., 88, died Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018, at his home. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Purity Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Jason Myers and Dr. Dwight Pearson officiating. The family will receive friends from 2 to 3 p.m. Friday at Purity Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall and other times at the home. Interment will follow in Chester Memorial Gardens. Ray was born in Binghamton, New York, and was a son of the late Dr. Ray Wilson Peterson, Sr. and Grace Babcock Peterson Stanton. He was a high school graduate of Admiral Farragut Naval Academy and graduated from Paul Smith Junior College with a major in forestry. He received his bachelor’s degree in forestry from the University of Michigan in 1954, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.Ray served two years in the U.S. Army after graduating from Michigan. Ray moved to Chester, South Carolina in 1957 where he worked for many years as a forester. Active in the Chester community, he was a leader in the Boy Scouts of America (Silver Beaver and Wood Badge Vigil Honor Order of the Arrow), a volunteer fireman of the South Chester Fire Department, Chairman of the Chester Fire Commission, and a founding member of the Chester Rescue Squad.Ray was also a member of the Chester Moose Lodge, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, the founder of the Sandy River Hunt Club and a Paul Harris Fellow of the Chester Rotary Club. He was awarded the Order of the Silver Crescent by the governor of South Carolina in 2001 for his service to the community.Ray was a member of Purity Presbyterian Church where he served as a deacon. Ray was a loving husband, father, stepfather and grandpa, who loved to hunt, fish and work in his yard. He was a true outdoorsman. He loved his friends. Ray pulled for the Carolina Panthers and the Michigan Wolverines.He loved his dogs, Bea and Elie, and he loved being involved in the Chester community.His favorite thing to do on Sunday afternoons was to watch golf on TV.He was a forester and could tell you anything you wanted to know about trees and snakes.He loved a good joke. He was a great guy. Ray is survived by his wife of over 41 years, Anne Bond Peterson; three children, Karen Simpson (Bill), of Independence, Virginia, Donna Peterson of Rock Hill and Paula Hollis (Mel) of Clover.He was predeceased by a son, Roger Peterson. He had five step children, Don Mobley of Columbia, Beth Stevenson of Chester, Frank Mobley (Christi) of Greenville, Michael Mobley (Deanna) and Judy Elms (Jon), also of Chester. He had fifteen grandchildren, Will Simpson of Independence, Virginia, Erica Marten (Scott) of Fort Lawn, Payton Hollis and Kylie Hollis of Clover, Julie Anne Mobley of Greenville, Laura Hatch (Kyle) of Summerville, Caroline and Lucy Mobley of Columbia; Hanna Nunnery (Ben) and Kelly Mobley of Chester, Eli Stevenson of Brunswick, Georgia, Katie Mobley of Greenville, Patrick Mobley of New York City, Jack Mobley of Columbia,and Casey Odom of Chester; three great-grandchildren, Jay and Catherine Nunnery of Chester and Murphy Hatch of Summerville; one sister, Christine Potter, of Roswell, Georgia and one brother Craig (Delores) Peterson of Fredericksburg, Virginia.Ray had one brother-in-law, Jimmy Bond (Alice) of Rock Hill. Memorials may be made to Purity Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 278, Chester, SC 29706 Online condolences may be made to the family at www.barronfuneralhome.com.