Stephen A. Peterson of The Villages, FL passed away peacefully on January 1, 2026 at Freedom Pointe after a brief illness.

A native New Yorker, Steve was born in Brooklyn, NY to Arthur and Delores Peterson on December 3, 1944. He grew up in Valley Stream, Long Island with his younger sister, Diane. While attending Nassau Community College he met Ann Fleming - she destined to become his beloved wife in 1964 and he to become a valued member of the Fleming family. They remained on Long Island until the late 1980s raising their sons, Kenneth and Mark.

Steve's career was in Customer Service where his ready wit and bright smile were much appreciated. Always fascinated with aviation, he was thrilled to work for PanAm at JFK for 20 years. He always joked that he did everything except fly or fix the planes. After moving to Maryland's Eastern Shore, Steve embarked on a career in food service management, overseeing government employee cafeterias in DC. In later years he joined the CVS team as a store manager in North Carolina where he enjoyed meeting many NASCAR drivers.

Upon retiring to The Villages, he quickly adapted to the lifestyle enjoying golf outings, driveway socials and trips to the squares. He especially enjoyed long afternoon cart rides with his devoted dog, Jack. Having joined The Villages Genealogical Society, he spent many hours researching his family roots and assisting other members in their research.

Steve will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and a great friend. He was a thoughtful, kind, gentle soul who was respectful to all.

Steve is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Ann; his sister Diane Peterson; his sons Kenneth (Tara) and Mark (Tanya) Peterson and his grandchildren Summer, Anna, Dylan and Lila Peterson.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Moyer Recreation Center, 3000 Moyer Loop in The Villages.

The family requests that any memorial donations be made to either UMC Lake Deaton, 6500 Wesleyan Way, Wildwood, FL 34785 for the Sonrise Respite Program or to The Dementia Grove, 1852 Youngs Rd., Leesburg, FL 34748 for their scholarship program. These organizations provide wonderful support and comfort to many in our community.