‘A giant’ and ‘friend’ of Vernon Township, former state senator Bill Peterson dies

Longtime Vernon Township supervisor and former Republican State Sen. William E. “Bill” Peterson Jr. of Long Grove died Jan. 11 at age 89 at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.

Described as “a giant” and a dedicated leader devoted to Vernon Township, he was elected township supervisor in 1975, a post he held until 2017.

“He cared deeply about the township … about his constituents,” said Todd Gedville, Vernon Township manager who was hired by Peterson and has been with the township almost 27 years. “Bill was an incredible leader. He was a great guy. He was a great friend to Vernon Township and its residents. He is going to be missed by a lot of people.”

Serving as Vernon Township supervisor was Peterson’s first love, said son Mark Peterson, 64, of Glencoe.

“He was just a big advocate for township government because he said it’s the closest to the people. It’s the most accountable to the people and you get better service,” he said.

An Army veteran, Peterson began his career as an educator, teaching at several North Shore schools, later serving as director of field services for the Illinois Association of School Boards.

As township supervisor, Peterson created numerous programs to support children and seniors, including the summer camp, parks program and reduced-fare taxi services. He also established and grew the township food pantry, and was instrumental in bringing the Prairie View Metra station to Lincolnshire.

Peterson helped the township acquire a park with an aquatic center that was named after him in the 1990s. The township’s summer camp that Peterson started is still run from there, Gedville said.

He also was one of the charter members of the Vernon Area Public Library District and a big open space advocate, he added.

From 1982 to 1992, Peterson served in the Illinois House of Representatives and was elected to the state Senate in 1992, where he served, including as assistant minority leader, until his retirement in 2008.

Many former colleagues have reached out to his family since Peterson’s passing.

“He was beloved and respected by his colleagues,” Mark Peterson said. “It’s really nice to hear as a son. He loved public service. He was a great man but he was an amazing dad too. I’m just very, very proud.”

As a legislator, Peterson championed educational access, affordable housing, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the expansion of early voting.

“I always appreciated his graciousness and assistance when I was beginning my service in public office, and I join the community in recognizing his many years of commitment to Vernon Township,” Democratic state Rep. Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove said in a statement.

“We may have had differences politically but they don’t make them like Bill anymore,” former Buffalo Grove Mayor Elliott Hartstein wrote in a Facebook tribute. “He was a giant and a mentsch ... respected by all.”

Peterson also was a devoted family man. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Patricia, his children, Mark and Lori, and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his sister, Vera Scherer, and his children, Wendy and Brad.

Visitation is 9:30-11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 342 E. Wood St., Palatine, followed by a church service. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, https://give.cff.org/tribute/WEP, or St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, https://stphilipspalatine.org/other/give/.