A love story to San Angelo

Also, why I have a love/hate relationship with obituaries

Before you read, here’s a shameless ask: if you have a gently used laptop, I will be willing to buy it so I don’t have to write on my phone. Likewise, if you know of potential job opportunities in the San Angelo, Texas, please let me know so I can apply. Now, to take a shower.

As I write this, I am in the lobby of my local YMCA. One of the perks is they offer complimentary copies of the world-renowned San Angelo Standard Times. While I could go on and on of the death the local paper industry, instead I’ll focus on what we still have. From Charles Bryce to Amy McDaniel, the San Angelo Standard Times still is great. My one gripe? Put San Angelo on the cover so if someone in a different city sees it, they know what city it’s from. My parents like to tell me that as early as three years old, I’d ask to see the sports section. Just between us, when I was that age, I was a HUGE lakers fan not because I was from LA but as a 3 year old, I loved front runners. I like to atone for that sin by liking the cowboys, astros, and spurs. Suffice to say that while I’ve never wanted to live here, it is home. It always has been. Additionally, compared to most other towns, this city is a gem, a true oasis in the desert. For July 4th, my parents friends from high school who live in corpus came to visit them. THEY LOVED IT and plan to make an annual trip to not only visit my family but explore the city. One of them was disappointed he couldn’t go to a restaurant while here. What I’ve fallen for since I’ve been back is the people. There are good people everywhere in the city from the Stephens, Brooks, Bates, Gunters, Pflugers. To people who came before like Elmer Kelton, Fess Parker, Eva Camunez Tucker, Houston Harte, Cliff and Nancy Richey. To unsung heroes like Patricia New who volunteers for Concho Valley PAWS, Dwain Morrison who was a good mayor and advocate for Lake View, to my dad. Even people who were born here like Max Lucado, Gregg Maddux, Monty McCutchen. Even those who have worked at KLST/KSAN have gone on to greener pastures like Alex Loeb, Hector Ledesma, and many others? It says something that Bobby Flay, George W. Bush and others know and have visited San Angelo multiple times.

What does this have to do with obituaries? Well, I love reading peoples’ stories. They may take up a small portion of a newspaper which undersells what their life truly meant. I hope I can leave that impact that can rival those that I read today.

Here’s to a life thats worth living that’s not focused on status and money but on service.

P.s. Steve Hartman is a CBS News Correspondent, and he did a story on a widow who was depressed and lonely until a little girl asked for a hug. Here is that piece. And the obituary for him.

Dr. Daniel Ray Peterson entered into eternal rest on February 10, 2020. Born in Eli, NE, Dr. Peterson lived the last twenty years of his life in the Augusta area. He was a devout Christian and was a regular attendant at Warren Baptist Church. He was a beloved and exceptional mathematics professor and administrator at several colleges. He was a proud veteran of the United States Air Force. He was a pilot and loved flying and he also loved to garden.
Dr. Peterson was preceded in death by his parents Lawrence Peterson and Rachel Garner Peterson and his wives Mary Parker Peterson and Norma Jean Peterson. He is survived by his sons Keith Peterson of California, Gary Peterson of Florida (Chrissy); his daughters Kerri Thole of California (Ken), Julie Surles of Georgia, Janie Ross of Georgia (Brent), Stephanie Bailey of South Carolina (Wayne); 12 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; one brother; two sisters and dear friend Norah Wood.