William L. “Bill” Peterson

PETERSON, BIEDRZYCKI

Posted By: Ruth Maring- Volunteer (email)
Date: 12/25/2006 at 19:48:53

The Clinton Herald
Published: December 22, 2006 02:12 pm

William L. “Bill” Peterson

Clinton, Iowa

January 19, 1950 - December 20, 2006

Longtime Clinton resident, William L. “Bill” Petersen, died December 20,2006 at his home in Pittsburgh, PA, surrounded by friends, after a five month battle with cancer.

Born January 19, 1950 in Laredo, TX and raised in Clinton, Bill attended St. John’s Lutheran School, followed by the public school system, graduating in 1967. After graduation, Bill embarked on a long and fruitful academic career. After graduating from the University of Iowa with a double major in religion and psychology in 1971, Bill earned his Masters of Divinity at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He then spent the next eight years at the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, earning a doctorate in theology, focusing on the New Testament and Early Christianity.

Bill began his teaching career at the University of Notre Dame in 1985, moving on to serve as Professor in Religious Studies as well as Classical and Ancient Mediterranean Studies at the Pennsylvania State University in 1990. During his academic career, he published more than 50 academic articles and chapters in books. He was the author of two books, most significantly Tatian’s Diatessaron. It’s Creation, Dissemination, Significance, and History in Scholarship. He co-edited several other books and served as editor-in-chief to professional journals.

An avid mountain climber in his youth, and lover of skiing and classical music throughout his life, Bill developed deep friendships with colleagues on several continents. He enriched the lives of countless others through his teaching and mentoring.

Preceded in death by his mother, Elizabeth Petersen, and his grandparents, Wilhem and Edna Petersen, he is survived by his life partner, Mark Biedrzycki.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations in Bill’s name can be made to a local charity.