Obituary for Melvin R. Petersen
NORTH CHELMSFORD – Melvin (Mel) R. Petersen, age 77, a resident of Chelmsford for over 50 years, passed away as a result of COVID-19 complications on June 30, 2020 at Beverly Hospital. He was the beloved husband of the late Carol (Viscione) Cain-Petersen with whom he shared 18 years of marriage prior to her passing in 2006.
Mel was born on July 18, 1942 in Lexington, MA and was the youngest son of the late Robert & June (Hart) Petersen.
He cherished many memories of growing up in Lexington, MA. Mel resided in Chelmsford for over 50 years & was very active in the community. He was a member of the Chelmsford Lodge of Elks, Jaycees & a volunteer Pop Warner football coach. He owned several local businesses and was a longtime real estate broker in town & the surrounding area. Prior to his retirement in 2015, he worked in the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab. Mel was an avid outdoorsman. He was very fond of ski trips, camping and fishing in ME, NH & Canada. He also enjoyed his travels to Atlantic City, Las Vegas & Florida. He loved cooking & his treks with his metal detector. He was a wizard at creating anything with ordinary objects. He was a private man with a great sense of humor, which is why we must share that while trying to exterminate tent caterpillars in our backyard, he accidentally caught the surrounding woods on fire for which we are pretty sure that the entire Chelmsford Fire Department showed up. We found humor; he did not.
He (his wit, pranks & sarcasm) will be greatly missed by his loving family.
Mel leaves his children, Kimberly Danas of Lowell, Erik Petersen of Longmont, CO, Tami Tilton and her husband Jon of Groveland, his step daughter Janine "Nina" Hendrickson and her husband Dennis of Shirley, his grandchildren, his Sister-In-Law, Judy Petersen of Litchfield, NH and many nieces & nephews. He also leaves his beloved four-legged friend, Rufus.
Sadly, he is predeceased by his brother, George Petersen, his sister, Barbara Holman & his Son-In-Law, George Danas.
Graveside Services will be held privately.
Memorial donations may be made in Mel’s name to Newhouse Wildlife Rescue of Chelmsford, PO Box 596, Chelmsford, MA 01824 or newhousewildliferescue.org.
Mel was born on July 18, 1942 in Lexington, MA and was the youngest son of the late Robert & June (Hart) Petersen.
He cherished many memories of growing up in Lexington, MA. Mel resided in Chelmsford for over 50 years & was very active in the community. He was a member of the Chelmsford Lodge of Elks, Jaycees & a volunteer Pop Warner football coach. He owned several local businesses and was a longtime real estate broker in town & the surrounding area. Prior to his retirement in 2015, he worked in the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab. Mel was an avid outdoorsman. He was very fond of ski trips, camping and fishing in ME, NH & Canada. He also enjoyed his travels to Atlantic City, Las Vegas & Florida. He loved cooking & his treks with his metal detector. He was a wizard at creating anything with ordinary objects. He was a private man with a great sense of humor, which is why we must share that while trying to exterminate tent caterpillars in our backyard, he accidentally caught the surrounding woods on fire for which we are pretty sure that the entire Chelmsford Fire Department showed up. We found humor; he did not.
He (his wit, pranks & sarcasm) will be greatly missed by his loving family.
Mel leaves his children, Kimberly Danas of Lowell, Erik Petersen of Longmont, CO, Tami Tilton and her husband Jon of Groveland, his step daughter Janine "Nina" Hendrickson and her husband Dennis of Shirley, his grandchildren, his Sister-In-Law, Judy Petersen of Litchfield, NH and many nieces & nephews. He also leaves his beloved four-legged friend, Rufus.
Sadly, he is predeceased by his brother, George Petersen, his sister, Barbara Holman & his Son-In-Law, George Danas.
Graveside Services will be held privately.
Memorial donations may be made in Mel’s name to Newhouse Wildlife Rescue of Chelmsford, PO Box 596, Chelmsford, MA 01824 or newhousewildliferescue.org.