Sigmund Rorgard Petersen

Sigmund Petersen, a proud Norwegian-American, passed away on January 24, 2024, after a brief stay in hospice care. He happily resided with his daughters in Kent, Washington, at the time of his death. Sig was born in Haugesund, Norway on November 22, 1936, living through the occupation of Norway by Germany before emigrating with his parents in 1948 as an eleven-year-old to Everett, Washington. He was a graduate of Everett High School, class of 1956, attended Everett Community College, and continued his education at Washington State University, graduating in 1961 with a BS in Civil Engineering. Sig was proud to have earned enough money as an Everett Herald paperboy to be the first of his family to return to Norway to visit his aunts and cousins. He married Rebecca Allbritton in 1963, embarking on an almost 60 year marriage full of adventure. In 1971, Sig earned a Master’s Degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island.

Professional Life

RADM Petersen had a long successful professional career as a commissioned officer in the NOAA Corps (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), joining the then US Coast & Geodetic Survey Corps as an Ensign. During his career, RADM Petersen sailed aboard four different ships of the USCGS and NOAA fleets, including Pathfinder, McArthur, Miller Freeman (the ship’s first NOAA Corps Commanding Officer), and Discoverer (Commanding Officer). A broadly-scoped career, he held numerous operational, hydrographic, cartographic, geodetic, meteorological, and oceanographic positions, spanning from Coast & Geodetic Survey and National Ocean Service programs, to the Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Services, National Marine Fisheries Service, and Marine Operations. During his service as Captain of the Miller Freeman, the ship’s crew valiantly rescued a disabled fishing vessel in heavy seas in the Bering Sea. One of the fishing vessel’s crew captured a famously dramatic picture of the Freeman cresting a very large wave and showing the bottom of the 215 ft hull of the ship. Sig served on a variety of national and international projects, including as the Operations Officer in 1974 for the Global Atmospheric Research Project’s Atlantic Tropical Experiment in Senegal, which deployed an international force of forty ships across the Atlantic.

RADM Petersen received countless accolades throughout his career, including the Department of Commerce Silver Medal and two NOAA Corps Commendation Medals. He was awarded the NOAA Administrator’s Award in 1989 for his participation in Operation Breakthrough, an international effort in 1988 to free three gray whales from pack ice in the Beaufort Sea near Barrow, Alaska. In 1990, while serving as Director of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Center, RADM Petersen was confirmed by the Senate and appointed by the President as Director, Office of NOAA Corps Operations, where he commendably served for five years prior to retiring in 1995.

Throughout his retirement, RADM Petersen remained committed to the NOAA Corps, accepting brief recalls to active duty for various administrative functions and maintaining contact with colleagues. Memories shared by those who had the fortune to know and/or work with him fondly recall that he was a self-effacing leader, quick to defer credit for success to his people; and that he openly shared his passion for NOAA science and the Corps to anyone within earshot. More information may be found on his Wikipedia page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_R._Petersen

Family Life

Sig was a devoted family man. His wife and children followed him to assignments throughout the US mainland as well as Hawaii and England. His joy in having family around him manifested in so many loving memories for his family and friends. And yes, any friends brought home were instantly family to Sig and Rebecca. The family spent endless hours in the car, from driving circles in parking lots, to long road trips with endless singing and car games (without cell phones-gasp!). Camping trips, canoe trips, school trips, school career days, church activities, scouting activities, Civil Air Patrol activities, parades, sports games, coaching – all were in his wheelhouse as an awesome father. Sig and Rebecca found a faith community and church in every one of the many home locations and made that a central support of the family’s life. Trips to visit grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins were special favorites. Sig loved to have family reunions whenever we could arrange it, and he loved to be the family storyteller, forever gathering up stories about family members. There were so many months with him out at sea, but, oh the stories we would hear and the fun we would get up to when he was ashore! He taught us to eat daddy’s dill pickles, “share” our apples (he’d eat half in one bite!), be the ice cream phantom (ice cream was not safe around Sig!), make butterscotch pudding on camping trips, and always share our food. We always knew dad’s language of love centered around the fellowship of food, and he was well taught by his mother, whose love language was also food.

As the kids and cousins grew up and went on to build their own careers and families, Sig loved to connect with all the kids of the next generation, forever being silly and playing games with them. And he continued to encourage everyone in whatever pursuits they chose. After retirement, Sig and Rebecca sold their house, bought a truck and 5th wheel, and traveled all over the country visiting family and friends – from Alaska to Southern California, and across the country to South Carolina. He was always supportive and loving, and we will greatly miss our pop, grandpa, uncle, and forever friend. Rest well Pop, you’ve taught us well.

As Sig grew older, he continued to enjoy the fellowship of his network of family and friends in Washington. He enjoyed regular gatherings of retired NOAA Corps officers, Seattle Mariner games with his brothers, church choir, church fellowship breakfasts at IHOP, regular dinners on the McDonough’s lake-side deck and Norwegian dinners prepared lovingly for him by his sister-in-law Carol from his mother’s cookbook. And he managed to make new friends all the way through his final stay in Evergreen Hospice Care Center.

Sig was preceded in death by his parents, Sigmund and Betty (Bergliot) Petersen, his younger brother Marvin, and recently by his wife of 60 years, Rebecca Allbritton Petersen. He leaves four children, Clare Dreyer of Jacksonville FL, Steven Petersen of Seattle WA, and Sharon Parker and Karen Petersen of Kent WA; three grandchildren, Forrest Underwood of Denver CO, Alex Underwood of Jacksonville FL, Ava Petersen of Seattle WA; and two great-grandchildren, Genevieve Underwood of Denver CO and Reagan Underwood of Jacksonville FL. He is also survived by two brothers, Edwin R. Petersen of Everett WA and Barney O. Petersen of Camano Island WA. The brothers were very close and loved doing projects, traveling to Norway and planning events together. Sig also leaves behind a loving legacy of nieces Peggy Thurtle, Sonya Sterling, Kim Petersen, Solveig Chaffee, Sonja Petersen; nephews Keith Allbritton and Zach Petersen; great-nieces and great-nephews Julie and Emma Fleming, Bryn, Zane, and Tor Chaffee, and Hanna and Bjorn Greenland; and honorary grandchildren Corbeck and Jennifer Snellenberg.

Celebration of Life

All are welcome to join the family in a celebration of life to be held at the National Nordic Museum, 2655 NW Market Street, Seattle, Washington 98107 at 1:30 pm on Sunday March 10, 2024.

Stay tuned for a link to a photo slide show video, coming soon…

Sig embraced and supported the mission of Housing Hope. The family encourages memorial gifts in memory of Sigmund Rorgard Petersen be directed to Housing Hope, 5830 Evergreen Way, Everett, Washington, 98203.

https://www.housinghope.org