Kenneth Peterson
April 2, 1934 ~ March 23, 2025
Resided in:
Fremont, California
Kenneth “Ken” Walter Peterson passed away peacefully on March 23, 2025, at his home, surrounded by loved ones, just ten days shy of his 91st birthday. Born and raised in Oakland, California, Ken was the eldest of three siblings and the cherished son of Dorothy and Arthur Peterson. His early years were marked by a spirit of service—qualities that led him to serve as a radar technician in the US Air Force while studying electrical engineering.
In 1965, Ken began his remarkable career at HP Laboratories, where his contributions were instrumental to the engineering team that developed the revolutionary HP-35 scientific pocket calculator for Hewlett-Packard. A passionate baseball enthusiast, Ken relished the opportunity to visit nearly every professional baseball stadium, especially savoring the chance to watch the Oakland A’s play, a tradition he upheld for over 20 years. Along with Carmen, he embarked on many adventures, traveling the world and creating lasting memories.
Beyond his leisure activities and professional achievements, Ken was a devoted family man. He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Carmen DeLeon and his children: Christine Asher (Gary), Lisa Klein (Jim), Tonia Roseman (Mike), Carla Winter (Eric) and Jen Peterson as well as his sister Connie Slader. His legacy lives on in his grandchildren—Michael, Matthew, Sierra, Orion, Ayden, Allison, and Caroline. Ken was preceded in death by his parents, sister Brenda Steelsmith and granddaughter Kelly Graves.
A funeral mass will be held at Mission San Jose on Saturday, May 10th at 11:00 AM, followed by a reception at Olive Hyde Art Gallery, 123 Washington Blvd. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Ken’s memory to the Veterans Association, Angels Hospice, or a charity of your choice.
Ken’s warmth, kindness, and unwavering love for life, his wife and family, will be deeply missed and forever remembered in our hearts.
Services
Funeral Mass: May 10, 2025 11:00 am
Room: Church
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Charities
The family greatly appreciates donations made to these charities in Kenneth Peterson 's name.
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Dear Peterson Family,
What a wonderful life your father had. You all must be so proud of him. The memories of your father will soon heal you in your loss. We send our deepest condolences to the family.
Mary and Don Sunseri
Rest in peace, dear friend, and may Almighty God hold you in his arms
Carmen and Family:
Gail and I have many great memories of Ken working with him in HP Labs in the 1970’s and many social get together during those years. Ken was a wonderful man, well liked, competent, fun to be around, sincere and an all around nice guy who was devoted to his family. What a loss! We will pray for all of you during this time of grief and celebration of his life.
Jim Marshall and Gail Parker-Marshall
Carmen, my deepest apologies for Ken’s passing and the immense sense of loss for your family, and everyone who knew him. My father David was blessed to call him a friend and colleague. It seems like he was there my entire childhood! Ken was a fine example of kindness, generosity and humility. He certainly left his mark and touched many lives in such a positive way. I will never forget his gentle voice, his infectious laugh and the way he carried himself in the world! He was a true inspiration to those around him. He has left an awesome legacy to the world. We will all miss him dearly!