Douglas Peterson

Douglas Reed Peterson, 71, passed away on December 8th, 2020 at the pinnacle of a life that exemplified the wisdom of Russell M. Ballard, who said, “What matters most is what lasts the longest, and our families are for eternity.”

Doug was born in Rexburg, Idaho to Reed and Myra Peterson, and formed his earliest memories on his family’s sprawling farmland. Even in his youth, Doug was wise beyond his years and possessed a humble, dutiful nature that won him fast friends and set him apart as a natural leader. When the family fell on hard times, Doug was always there to step in and do whatever was necessary to help, even when it entailed significant sacrifice on his part.

To his siblings, Julie, Barry, Brian, Suzanne, and Steve, he was an inspiration, a guardian, and a confidant. They recall watching from the stands as he set state track records in high school and eventually competed at the collegiate level for Brigham Young University. What they saw when he ran were the qualities that defined his life: strength, persistence, and grace. When his father passed away prematurely, Doug assumed the role of family patriarch, helping support his mother and siblings, always offering his aid with a sense of humility that made it impossible to refuse.

He was guided through life by a profound belief in Jesus Christ born of daily meditation and reflection on scripture. He was always more interested in the “letter of the spirit” he uncovered in his private explorations of faith than in formal rules or the theories offered by others. Yet his sense of conviction was somehow both steadfast and non-judgmental. He was always searching, always open, and always eager to connect with people of all faiths and backgrounds.

When Doug met his eternal companion, Jessica, it was the light of his spirituality that drew her to him. Together, they formed the heart of a family that would grow to include five children, Nathan, Stina, Shaun, Ryan and Darren, who they raised in Kaysville, Utah. They were perfect complements for one another, with Jessica working tirelessly as a homemaker and educator to their children, while Doug found endless ways for the family to have fun together, whether it was camping trips, a new basketball hoop in the driveway, or a go-kart to race around the backyard.

He reveled in his children’s talents and interests, and his pride in them was apparent to all who knew him. No matter where life took them, he was a constant presence, always there to quietly lend a hand when it was needed or simply listen when they needed someone to talk to.

His jewelry store, situated in the heart of Salt Lake City, was more than a business: it was a place where customers were thought of as lifelong friends and visited often to hear Doug’s witty anecdotes and bits of wisdom. It was where countless family members, including his children, found their first job, learning the trade by the side of a true master jeweler who had honed his skills under the tutelage of his own father. Doug loved to feature their works of art and sculpture prominently in his display cases alongside his collections. Working there didn’t really feel like work at all: it was an opportunity to talk to Doug for hours on end about the unending mysteries and inherent comedies of life.

Few things brought him more vivid joy than Jessica’s incredible family dinners, where his gifts for storytelling and conversation made everyone feel welcome and loved. He always made room at the table for friends and acquaintances, including companions who had served by his side in the Northern States Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After finishing one of Jessica’s famous desserts, he would recline in his chair and proclaim, with deep satisfaction, “what a spread” the “decadent” meal had been. He was a self-styled foodie who talked about meals he’d enjoyed years ago as though he’d just put down his fork.

In his later years, he became Papa Doug to his 11 grandchildren, who loved to sit around the campfire with him at Redfish Lake, play games with him in his backyard, and weave entrancing tales of magic carpets and faraway lands with him, using their own imaginations to populate the worlds they built together. He attended virtually every one of their games, recitals and graduations, no matter how far he had to travel to get there. His commitment to them was, like everything important in his life, unwavering and unassuming, as if he could never imagine having it any other way.

Doug led an extraordinary life that overflowed with the riches of love, family, and faith. He will be deeply missed but will live on through everyone whose life he touched. We know his spirit will be with us to sustain and protect us – and to make sure we have the occasional laugh – ‘til we meet again.

Funeral services will be held for family and by invitation only on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 2 p.m. at Lindquist’s Kaysville Mortuary, 400 North Main.  Interment, Kaysville City Cemetery.

Services will be live-streamed by going to www.lindquistmortaury.com and scrolling to the bottom of Douglas’s obituary page.

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