Willie Mae Peterson
December 7, 1928 — June 2, 2024
DeLand, Florida
Willie Mae “Billie” Peterson completed her baptism on June 2, 2024, and is feasting at the table of Jesus Christ and worshiping at the throne of God. Billie was born to William Norman Hammock and Mamie Lou Woodard Hammock in Miami, Florida on December 7, 1928. She graduated from Miami Edison Senior High School and Richards Business College, Savannah, Georgia. She later took classes at Miami Dade Community College to hone her Word Processing and secretarial skills. She received her Certified Professional Secretary rating by taking a two-day exam, passing all six parts the first time. Billie worked for the United States Air Force as a secretary at Craig AFB in Selma, Alabama, Pinecastle AFB, Orlando, Florida and Homestead Air Force Base, Florida. (Pinecastle later became McCoy AFB, then Orlando International Airport.) Prior to her return to Homestead AFB to serve as Chapel secretary until her retirement, she worked nine years for attorney/Justice of the Peace Sylvester Adair in Homestead. She met Corporal Robert E. Peterson (Bob) at Orlando’s First Baptist Church. They married at the First Baptist Church in Homestead, Florida in 1953. Upon retirement from the Chapel in 1989, she received a Testimonial of Service Plaque for Spiritual and Moral Leadership given by the Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force. While in Homestead, she was active at First Baptist Church, singing in the choir and attending Bible studies. She was also a member of the Ad Astra Chapter #71 of the Order of the Eastern Star. Billie and Bob served as Worthy Matron and Worthy Patron of that organization. Following Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Billie and Bob moved to Eustis, Florida and were active at Bay Street Baptist Church. After Bob’s death from brain cancer in 2001, in 2005 she decided to move to Bristol, Tennessee and joined First Presbyterian Church, where daughter Vicki and husband Steve served as Directors of Music Ministry. Upon their move to Decatur, Georgia in 2017, she moved into a Brookdale Senior Living facility in Roswell, Georgia and became a member of Central Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Upon Vicki and Steve’s retirement and ultimate move to DeLand, Florida Billie moved into DeLand’s Brookdale Assisted Living facility. After several falls and hip surgery, Billie moved to a small facility, Freedom Oaks in DeLeon Springs, where she was well taken care of. Billie loved to travel. As a young adult, she and three friends traveled from Miami to California, with stops along the way! After retirement, she and Bob traveled across the country on trips with best friends Lucille and Ralph Marshall in their respective RVs. They also took trips to Japan, California, Alaska, and Virginia to visit daughter Leigh Ann. After Bob’s death, Billie and Leigh Ann took annual vacations together and Billie traveled to Scotland and England in 2004 with daughter Vicki, Steve, and their boys and the choir of First Presbyterian Church, Bristol, Tennessee. Billie is survived by daughters Vicki Fey (Steve) and Leigh Ann Graham; grandchildren Alan Fey (Janet), Jordan Fey (Erica) and Kaila Graham Karg (Rich); seven great-grandchildren, Analiese, MaKenzie, Zachary, Taylor, and Jerry Karg; Isaac and Viola Fey; God-daughter Margaret Speers Terry (Troy) and their daughter Kaitlin; best friend Lucille Marshall; and several cousins and children of cousins. Her body failed, and Alzheimer’s was taking her mind. The family would like to thank the staff and nurses of Brookdale DeLand and the staff and caregivers at Freedom Oaks as well as the nurses and aides at Gentiva Hospice, DeLand. Donations in Billie’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. A service of witness to the Resurrection will be held Friday, June 14, with visitation at 9:30 a.m. and a service at 10:30 a.m. at Harden/Pauli Funeral Home, 1617 South Bay Street in Eustis, Florida, with burial to follow at Florida National Cemetery, 6502 S. W. 102nd Avenue in Bushnell, Florida. Online Guestbook available at www.hardenpauli.com Arrangements by Harden/Pauli Funeral Home, Eustis, Florida.
