Thomas Peterson

Thomas L. Peterson, 76, died at home on Tuesday, June 22, 2021.

Tom was born to Barbara and Allan Peterson on March 5, 1945, in Minneapolis. Although Tom grew up in Minneapolis, his family often traveled up to the North Shore.  When given the opportunity to teach Philosophy at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) in 1972, he and his wife Sherry jumped at the chance to move to the area permanently.

Besides teaching at UMD, Tom was a founder of and laid out the first 200+ miles of the Superior Hiking Trail and worked in various roles for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), including laying out the North Shore snowmobile and ATV trail, and retired as the DNR Trails and Waterways Area Supervisor for Northeastern Minnesota.

Tom was Silver Creek Township Supervisor for many years and a member of several boards and commissions, including the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC) and Gitchi-Gami Trail Association.

Tom was a thoughtful man who was happiest in nature and spending time with his family and friends. He had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. A prolific reader, Tom enjoyed a wide variety of literature from 15th century philosophy texts to the latest mystery novels. He loved gardening, hiking, and visiting the Two Harbors Dog Park. Post-retirement, Tom could often be found driving the back roads of Northeastern Minnesota, visiting lake after lake, trail after trail, just to check them out.

Tom is survived by his wife, Sheridan (Flynn); daughter, Jessica; sisters Sue Lasch (Herb) and Nancy Peterson (Jim); and his beloved dog, Abby.  He will be missed by all.

Services will be held at 3 PM on Monday, July 12, 2021 at Cavallin Funeral Home in Two Harbors