Curtis Peterson, a former mayor of the Village of Alix, has passed away.
An obituary states Peterson passed away on Dec. 8 after a short battle with a blood disorder at the age of 75.
“He was a great family man and his community meant a lot to him,” said current Alix Mayor Rob Fehr.
“He was very well-known, very respected and he will be missed. There’s no doubt about it. There’s a lot of grief right now. … It’s a big loss to the community because he meant so much to so many people.”
Peterson spent his whole life in central Alberta. He was born in Lacombe, received his diploma for agriculture at Olds College and took over Peterson’s Fertilizer from his father in 1977.
In 1996, Peterson purchased the Alix Home Hardware, which he owned until his retirement this past April. He served as mayor from 2007 to 2016 .
Peterson was also very involved in the Alix community, said Fehr, who served alongside Fehr on council for three terms.
“He was a chartered member of the Lion’s Club – he was instrumental in bringing that to Alix,” said Fehr.
“He was very passionate about the fire department as well – he operated the pumper for years.”
Additionally, Peterson has volunteered with several Alix organizations, including the chamber of commerce, United Church, Wagon Wheel Museum and the Haunted Lakes Golf Course.
“He had his finger on the pulse of the community. He might not have always been front and centre, but you always knew his presence and you always knew if you needed something or needed information he was the guy you went to,” said Fehr.
“Even now, when you drive around the community, you can see his influence on so many things, so many organizations and even things you see.”
There are “big shoes to fill” for contributing within Alix, Fehr noted.
“The man had energy. He was 75 years old, but you wouldn’t know it. He was very passionate about the community, his family and people, not just in town, but in the surrounding area as well,” said Fehr.
A funeral service was held in Stettler on Thursday.
Peterson is survived by his wife Donna, son Craig (Jenny) and grandsons Ryan, Jacob and Hayes, his son Jeff (Mandi) and grandchildren Brody, Elliot and Evyn, his brother Gary (Lesley) and sister Myrna and their families, the Peterson, Rouse and Rowledge families.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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