Bob also had a love for philosophy.  At the time of his death he was working on a Ph.D. in philosophy.  He was a good friend, a fun travel companion to GA, a careful theologian, and one that many of us often turned to for advice.  I learned a lot from him and I will miss him.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Charles Peterson, 62, of Butler, Penn., passed away Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013, at the VNA Inpatient Hospice.

He was born on Sept. 29, 1950, in Meadville to the late Victor C. Peterson and Ruth (Mehring) Peterson.

Dr. Peterson graduated from Meadville High School in 1968 and from Grove City College in 1972. He received his master of divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1975.

Dr. Peterson began his pastoral ministry at the Clintonville and Scrubgrass United Presbyterian Churches in 1975. In 1981, he joined the Presbyterian Church in America and served the Scrubgrass Stone Church until 1985. He came to the St. John’s Reformed Church in 1985.

He received his doctor of ministry from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1988. To help with his education expenses he worked seven summers at Conneaut Lake Park. He often used those work experiences to illustrate his sermons.

Dr. Peterson was a member of Kiwanis Club of Butler and the board of Connoquenessing Meals on Wheels. He was the chaplain for the Meridian Volunteer Fire Company for many years.

He attended the General Assembly of the PCA most years and served on various General Assembly Committees. He was the chairman of the Candidates Committee of Ascension Presbytery of the PCA. He made two mission trips to Gonaives, Haiti, to help with a building project and to teach a course in church history at the mission’s university. He enjoyed watching all the Pittsburgh sports teams. He also enjoyed bird watching with his wife, Karen.

Dr. Peterson is survived by his wife, Karen L. (Carr) Peterson, who he married on June 22, 1975; one son, John Robert Peterson of Pittsburgh; his mother-in-law, Marilyn Carr of Austin, Texas; one brother-in-law, Bill Carr and his wife, Mary Lou Price, of Austin, Texas, and by his beloved members of the St. John’s Reformed Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

The friends of Dr. Peterson will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, and from noon to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the Thompson-Miller Funeral Home, 124 E. North St., Butler.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 9, at St. John’s Reformed Church, 494 Evans City Road, Butler, with Pastor Jerry Maguire of the Redeemer Presbyterian Church in America of Concord, Mass., officiating.

Burial will take place in Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Meadville.

In lieu of flowers, please give to the memorial fund of the St. John’s Reformed Church, 494 Evans City Road, Butler, PA 16001; the Salvation Army, 313 W. Cunningham St., Butler, PA 16001; or to a charity of your choice.

Dr. Jay Neikirk, Clerk Presbytery of the Ascension, said of Bob Peterson:

“Bob was very active in Presbytery and General Assembly. I believe Bob was the last actively serving Teaching Elder in our Presbytery who predated J&R (Editor’s note: In 1982 the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod accepted the invitation of the PCA to Join and be Received, hence it was known as J&R)) on the PCA side (there is one retired Teaching Elder, Carl Bogue from the PCA, and two actively serving men who came in from the RPCES). Bob served numerous times on the Review of Presbytery Records Committee, on various committees of commissioners, and had served on the Overtures Committee for the four Assemblies prior to 2013.  He, Irfon Hughes, and Dale Szallai (who passed away last year) organized a ministers’ fraternal that was an important part of the Presbytery of the Ascension for a number of years.  Bob also had a love for philosophy.  At the time of his death he was working on a Ph.D. in philosophy.  He was a good friend, a fun travel companion to GA, a careful theologian, and one that many of us often turned to for advice.  I learned a lot from him and I will miss him.”