Harold Edwards Peterson Jr.

Harold Edward Peterson, Jr, born August 10, 1925 in New Orleans, LA, passed away in Nashville, TN on July 24, 2012. An Educator, Musician, and Law Enforcement Officer, he was a lifelong resident of the New Orleans area and was deeply loved by his friends and family. He joined the Navy in 1943 at the age of 17 serving as a storekeeper aboard the troop transport, USS General William F. Hase AP146, which saw action in both the Pacific and Atlantic Theatres during WWII. After his discharge he attended Loyola University in New Orleans, receiving a Bachelor of Music Education Degree and a Master of Education Degree in 1949. He continued his education throughout the years. He started teaching in Jefferson Parish in 1953. He was the first Band Director at West Jefferson High School in 1955. He was also the first Principal of Terrytown Elementary School in 1963, and served in that capacity for 11 years until his retirement. He was also Principal of Terrytown Academy.
At the age of 55, he was hired by then Sheriff Harry Lee and went through the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Training Academy, and started a Truancy Unit, which was part of the Juvenile Section of the Sheriff’s Department. He worked for the Sheriff’s Department until the early 1990's first in active duty and later as a reserve officer.
He was a professional musician for 45 years, playing clarinet and saxophone with many local bands, including the Musical Moods. The Peterson family was active in the New Orleans area music industry for many years, his father, Harold Sr., played in the early days of New Orleans Dixieland Jazz and was a music store proprietor, and his grandfather George Peterson was a violinist and percussionist with the New Orleans Symphony.
During the early years of Terrytown, where he resided since 1963, he was active and served as an officer in both The Lions Club and Civic Association.
He was an avid fisherman and built his own camp in the Happy Jack area of Plaquemines Parish. He also had a lifelong love of baseball, a fan of LSU and the Yankees. Over the last few years he spent much of his time traveling to visit with his daughter in Nashville, TN where he made many new friends who he entertained with many stories of his life.
He is survived by a daughter, Denise Peterson, and a son and daughter-in-law, David and Kristen Lamy Peterson, and three grandchildren, Corey Peterson, Lauren Burns, and Brett Burns, beloved cousins Bernie Warren, Jill Thurman, and Mike and Jack Terry and many lifelong friends. He is preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Althea Derbes Peterson, his parents, Harold, Sr. and Erma Gunckel Peterson, and his siblings, George Peterson and Donna Peterson Smith.
The family would like to express a special thanks to the staff of McKendree Village for the love, care, and friendship they have shown during his stay there. In lieu of flowers and because of his lifelong love of dogs, the family requests that donations be made in Harold's name to Raven Woods Animal Sanctuary, P.O. Box 881, Roseland, La. 70456, the shelter that recently brought Greta, aka Solar Baby Neptune, into the Peterson family. For further funeral information or directions, please call Mothe Funeral Home at 504.366.4343. Family and friends may view and sign the online guestbook at www.mothefunerals.com .