Craig C. Peterson

Bekavac Funeral Home and Crematory

Obituaries | The Tube City Almanac | January 26, 2026

Craig Carroll Peterson ended his journey on earth on January 25, 2026. He was the son of Carroll Victor Peterson and Jennie Prince Peterson of Clairton, PA. Born on June 10, 1946, Craig was outgoing and rebellious from the time of his birth. He shocked his mother by crawling out of his crib and down a flight of steps to join her in the backyard while she was hanging laundry—at six months of age!

Craig was a cub scout, boy scout and Eagle scout. He was tapped for the Order of the Arrow—the only scout award selected by fellow scouts for outstanding leadership. In junior and senior high school, he played the clarinet and French horn in the orchestral and marching bands. He loved music of every genre and could name every performer and song from the 1960s and 70s. He spent one summer in Cordoba, Argentina, as an exchange student and then hosted a student from Colombia for one semester. He never lost his Spanish language skills.

Craig loved distinctive cars and bought a 1929 Ford Model A when he was 16. He owned a classic Volkswagen “Bug” and a British-produced, Griffith, which was a low, sleek, two-seater sports car. It was on his Honda motorcycle in 1967 that he was broadsided by a car and lost his foot in the accident.

He graduated from Clairton High School in 1964 and from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Psychology. He worked in various sales jobs and especially liked selling electronics because he knew so much about them.

He moved to San Francisco for 10 years and enjoyed the counter-culture lifestyle of that city. But he returned to the Pittsburgh area for the remainder of his life. He battled psychological problems for much of his adult life and had the courage to endure the problems on a daily basis.

Craig maintained friendships all his life, even from grade school. He is survived by his sister, Diane Peterson Mathis (Larry Mathis) of Houston, TX.

Funeral arrangements will be private.

Contributions in memory of Craig should be directed to the Carroll and Jennie Prince Peterson Memorial Garden of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. The address is 800 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222; the telephone number is 412-288-2777; and their online donation form can be found at https://waterlandlife.org. Arrangements by the A.J. Bekavac Funeral Home, 555 5th. St., Clairton, PA 15025 (412-233-5700) www.bekavacfuneralhome.com

Originally published January 26, 2026.

Other deaths:
"Linda Jean Sysdeski" || "Olga C. Darnay"