JAMES (ELIAS) PETERSON
1927-2023
James Peterson (JP) passed away peacefully Sunday, October 22, 2023, at his home in Soquel with his family by his side. He was born on August 6, 1927, in Detroit, Michigan after his parents moved from Greece the year prior and returned there shortly after his younger brother, Mike, was born.
JP first discovered his love for music at an early age by attending services at Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Athens every Sunday and spending his holidays there as well. He eventually went on to have a successful career in the music industry, becoming the youngest branch manager for Capitol Records in the 1950s and working with many talented musicians including Nat King Cole and Stan Kenton. His passion for music continued at his home with community recitals well into his 90s.
After completing high school, JP decided to enroll in the Navy and was accepted on July 2, 1945, and sent to Great Lakes Naval Training Camp near Chicago. Upon graduating he travelled to San Francisco where he boarded a troop ship and departed on September 19, 1945, and arrived in Okinawa on October 7 to provide support to the fleets already there. After serving his country, he received his honorable discharge on July 20, 1946. He was proud to be a veteran, and established veterans’ clubs in Incline Village, Nevada and Santa Cruz, California, and helped veterans throughout his life.
JP was dedicated to the lord, his country, and family. He first met his future wife Marie Nick, who sang with the voice of an angel in the choir he directed at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Detroit, Michigan. They quickly fell in love and married on May 15, 1949. They adopted two wonderful children from Greece, Sandra Marie and later Robert James, and eventually settling in Saratoga from 1959 to 1972. There they were active members of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. In 1972, the family relocated to Santa Cruz County, and JP fulfilled a lifelong dream of starting a church. He was instrumental in securing the property and contacting the Greek/Orthodox Christian community to establish the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church in 1980.
His larger-than-life personality, endless stories, tireless effort to help others, and wealth of knowledge will be dearly missed. He is survived by his son Robert Peterson and his children, Ashley and Evan Peterson, and his daughter Sandra Pfister’s sons, Jamison, Michael, and Brian Pfister.
A Trisagion service will be held on Thursday, November 2 at 7 PM, and a funeral service on Friday, November 3 at 10 AM followed by a Makaria luncheon. Both services and luncheon will be at the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church.
A Graveside service with military honors will be held after at Oakwood Memorial Park & Cemetery.
The family kindly requests in-lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church, 223 Church Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, in his honor.
