STORY by STEVE TRAIMAN
When Lance Peterson passed away March 8 at age 78 due to complications from cancer and heart disease, his life had touched many thousands in the Tampa Bay Area. He left his mark with long-time service to the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, the Veterans of South Pinellas County (VSPC), the City of St. Pete Beach and the St. Pete Beach Public Library, among others.
Lance and his family moved to St. Pete Beach from Jamestown, NY, in 1955 and he graduated from Boca Ciega High School in 1958. He joined the Air Force in 1960 and after that service spent a short time with the NSA before returning to his studies. He graduated from the USF School of Business and had a 30-year career with the Veterans Administration, with a short hiatus for a brief oil industry foray.
After retiring, Lance and his wife Kay, who passed away several years ago, returned to St. Pete Beach and bought a house not far from his boyhood home. They were both very active with the Gulf Beaches Museum on the board of directors, and it could be said Lance was the “heart and soul” of the iconic attraction. Lance was very active in the community, developing historical presentations, giving his last at the SPB Library just a few weeks before his passing.
He was appointed to the St. Pete Beach City Planning Board, and was a long-time member and vice president of the Friends of the SPB Library. He also served on the St. Pete Beach Library Advisory Committee, and had been on the board of the VSPC.
Lance is survived by his brother, Bill Peterson (Karen) and stepsons Rob Moore (Monica), Clermont; and Gary Moore (Laura), Morrison, CO. He was buried next to wife Kay at Bay Pines National Cemetery. Donations may be made in his name to the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, Friends of the SPB Public Library or the Veterans of South Pinellas.
All are invited to a “Celebration of Life” for Lance on Sunday, April 14, from 1- 4pm at the Don Vista Community Center, just south of the Don Cesar Resort on Gulf Blvd.
Shared Memories of Lance
Harry Metz, VSPC president, told Paradise News, “Lance and I had been friends forever, and talked almost every day about different stuff. It started with Boca Ciega High School and then we both worked for Wilson Hubbard on his boats at Hubbards Marina. We kept in touch during his Air Force time and his 30 years with the VA. When he returned to St. Pete Beach he got involved with us and joined the board of directors, coming up with many good ideas for fund raising and other activities for our vets. Lance will definitely be missed by all of us at the VSPC.”
Joe and Carol Bafundo used to double date with Lance, and together with Lance and Kay started the Boca Ciego High School Dinner Club. Carol recalled, “One Monday night Lance and Kay invited Joe and I to the Horse & Jockey for their $8.95 Fish ‘n’ Chips Special, and it grew from there to about 18 folks, expanding to other restaurants. Lance used to drive his Mom’s old Hudson, and she did a great job raising three rambunctious boys in a little house. Joe was Lance’s best friend, taking him to chemo treatments every Thursday the last months before he left us. We spent many good times together and will miss him terribly.”
This reporter was privileged to know Lance since we moved down to St. Pete Beach from New Jersey. “We were both on the board of the Friends of the SPB Library and served on the City Library Advisory Committee. He was an outspoken voice in supporting a new library and more recently, vital necessary repairs to the roof and infrastructure. Lance was a true raconteur when it came to his theme presentations about the city and surrounding areas, bringing history to life time and again with his special flair. He was dedicated to carrying on the work of the museum and will be missed by the many whose lives he touched over the years.”
Spencer Lucas moved to SPB from NC in 2000 and met Lance when he got involved with the museum several years later. He said, “I called him a curmudgeon – hard on the outside and soft on the inside. Everybody who knew him loved him, and he was a good friend to everybody. He had a passion for the museum, the library and the VSPC, and we’ll miss him terribly.”
Bill Peterson, Lance’s kid brother, recalled for Paradise News how they grew up together with older brother Butch, who passed away two years ago. “We came to St. Pete Beach from New York and Dad was from Chautauqua, site of the annual summer-long music festival. Lance had an affinity for music and would go for the season almost every year.
“He had been with the VA for a while when an oil firm in Texas gave him the opportunity to travel the state with their machine that detected sulfur deposits in the ground that often led to oil. At the same time Butch and I were electrical manufacturer reps in Texas. We all left after a major industry financial bust. Lance went back to the VA.
“My wife Karen and I bought the family home in Buena Vista in 1956, and after retiring in 2000, he and Kay bought the house next door. He always loved the library and when he was stationed with the Air Force in Turkey, started a library on the base. The four of us spent many good times together and it was a real shock when he went so fast; we know how many folks he reached over the years.”
[Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Harry Metz, Joe and Carol Bafundo, Spencer Lucas and Bill Peterson, for their memories and vignettes.]
[Steve Traiman is President of Creative Copy by Steve Traiman in St. Pete Beach, offering freelance business writing services. He can be reached via email at traimancreativecopy@gmail.com ]