Thor B. Pettersen
Thor B. Pettersen, 90, of Vergennes, VT died Friday, February 26th from congestive heart failure.
He was born in New York City on Dec. 20, 1925 to Karen and Thoralf Pettersen. He was a staff sergeant in the US Army Air Corps during World War II and flew out of Italy on a B-17 as a nose gunner.
After the war Thor married his high school sweetheart, Mary Belski, of Brooklyn, NY in 1945 and lived in Brooklyn, Port Washington, and Mattituck, all on Long Island. They were married for 56 years. He was predeceased by his wife, Mary, his son, Gregg of Riverhead, NY, and his sister, Lily Lewin of Port Washington, NY. He is survived by two daughters: Karen Pettersen, and Laura Woodhull, son-in-law Terry Woodhull, five grandchildren: Julie, Stacy, Gregg Jr., Frank and Kristina, and three great-grandchildren: Aidan, Cameron, and Avery.
Thor enjoyed hunting in the Catskills and Vermont, fishing on Long Island Sound and tending to his vegetable garden, especially his tomatoes. He was a machinist and tool designer for a variety of industries on Long Island, and later in life founded, the Peconic Machine Corp in partnership with a high school friend.
Thor moved to Vergennes two years after his wife’s death. He was a member of the American Legion Post 14 in Vergennes and a member of the F&AM Dorchester Lodge in Vergennes.
A service for the family was held at the Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island, NY on March 1, 2016. His family would like to thank the staff at the Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center for their kindness and attentiveness towards Thor during his last few months while recuperating from a broken hip.