Obituary of Mark W. Peterson

Mark W. Peterson, age 56, of Duxbury, formerly of Dorchester, died on Monday, August 25, 2014, in Boston. Mark was born and raised in Dorchester and grew up with a love of swimming, baseball and for his family. As a young adult, he graduated from Johnson and Wales Culinary School in Rhode Island and worked in the food service industry for several years. In time, he realized that he had more than one passion and moved into the field of horticulture at Spillane’s Nursery Corp. where he honed his ability to bring beauty and color into this world through plants and flowers. He prided himself on several things throughout his life. He loved cooking delicious meals for those he was close to, adored making beautiful and artful landscapes and garnered such joy in his physical fitness and swimming with his friends at the Kingsbury Club. Mark enjoyed going for walks and enjoying nature, whether it be in the woods of New Hampshire or the beaches in Duxbury as well as singing with and reading to his grandson. Mark fought a long and courageous battle with cancer and did so with dignity and serenity up until the very end. He was a nurturing and generous man whose humility translated seamlessly into his roles as son, brother, father, stepfather, grandfather (“Papa”) and husband. He was liked by some, loved by many and adored by even more. Mark was the beloved husband of Karen L. (Young) Peterson of Duxbury; loving father of Elyce M. Peterson and fiancé Joshua J. Cripps of Plymouth, Erika L. Peterson of Las Vegas, NV, Laura J. Peterson of Duxbury; dear stepfather of Kelsey M. Lanman of Duxbury, Peter (PJ) G. Lanman Jr. of Duxbury; devoted son of Joan A. (Saunders) Peterson & the late Charles M. Peterson of Dorchester; dear brother of the late Lance M. Peterson of Dorchester & his surviving wife Patricia A. Peterson of Milford, Charlene J. Peterson of Dorchester, Mary L. (Peterson) Doran & husband Frederick C. Doran of Ft. Meyers, FL, Paul L. Peterson of Dorchester, Charles T. (Curley) Peterson of Dorchester, Linda M. Peterson of Lexington and Kathleen A. (Peterson) Greene & husband Lloyd P. Jones of Wilmington, NC; and cherished grandfather to Marcus B. Cripps of Plymouth. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews and dear friends. Visiting hours at the Shepherd Funeral Home, 216 Main Street, (Route 106), Kingston, on Thursday, August 28, 2014, from 3:00-7:00 PM. Funeral services at the Shepherd Funeral Home, Kingston, on Friday, August 29, 2014, at 10:00 AM, followed by his funeral Mass at the Holy Family Church, 601 Tremont Street, Duxbury, at 11:00 AM. Interment services will follow at the Mayflower Cemetery, 774 Tremont Street, Duxbury. Contributions in Mark's memory may be made to Dana Farber-Sarcoma Center, C/O Dr. Morgan, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.