Doris Peterson

Doris Peterson, age 92, died Saturday, June 17, 2023 at home. Her life began in Ohio during the Great
Depression’s early years, the second child of Chester and Koneta Davis. She grew up on the family
farm, graduated from Shawnee High School, and enjoyed playing the clarinet in the high school band
and orchestra. She completed nurses’ training at Lima Memorial Hospital. Part of her training included
spending a moment in an iron lung to create empathy for polio patients.

Shortly after nursing school, Doris moved to southern California with her good friend, Ellen. They
bought a car to make the cross-country drive, and that prompted Doris to get her driver’s license, a
practical next step which reflected her practical get-it-done nature. She asked her parents for
permission to make this bold move. Always up for an adventure, this launched the next chapter.
Taking up residence in southern California, Doris got involved at Fountain Avenue Baptist Church,
Hollywood, where she met her one true love, Joel. They were married seven months later on June 17.
He died suddenly at age 42, and she went on to complete a successful career in nursing, completed her college degree, raise three children, pay for her home, travel far and wide, and finish life well.

In 1986, she achieved the position of supervising nurse of Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital’s (PIH
Health) newly constructed 24-bed cardiac Critical Care Center. She later became a case manager,
which she felt prepared her for her ministry with the elderly at her church. She retired from nursing after
a successful and innovative fifty-one year career.

Doris dearly loved her growing family, and fondly gathered everyone around her table for holiday meals
and celebrations. As a loyal friend to many, especially those in the Women’s Missionary Fellowship and
Retired Nurses groups, she found joy in meeting together, sharing lunch, and helping one another. As
a faithful follower of Christ, Doris served in various roles and leadership opportunities at Calvary
Baptist Church, Whittier. She enjoyed extensive travel through the years, was an expert at crochet and
knitting, loved to work puzzles, and played word games at the table, online, or in word search books.
Her family appreciated her precipitation reports as the family rain monitor, sending updates on rainfall
totals after those rare occurrences of wet weather.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents, brother Donald, sister Mary, and her husband Joel. She is
survived by her children Glen (Cindi), Audrey (Garth), and Beth (Stephen), seven grandchildren, four
great grandchildren, and brother David.

The family wishes to thank Loving Home Care and Hestia Hospice for all the significant support in
recent days.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to one of the following organizations in her memory:
● PIH Health Foundation, 12401 Washington Blvd., Whittier, CA 90602, Phone:
562.967.2745, Website: https://supportpihhealth.funraise.org/
● Calvary/El Calvario Ministries, 6548 S Newlin Ave., Whittier, CA 90601, Email:
info@calvarywhittier.org, Phone: 562-698-8058; Website: https://calvarywhittier.org/give/
● Joni & Friends, 30009 Ladyface Ct., Agoura Hills, CA 91301, Email:
fundraising@joniandfriends.org, Website: https://joniandfriends.org/