Raymond Lynn Peterson, longtime Designer, Musical Director and Director of Theatre at South Dakota State University and a dedicated volunteer of the Miss South Dakota Scholarship Foundation, passed away Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at StoneyBrook Suites Assisted Living. Memorial Services will be held 2:00 pm Thursday, September 5, 2024, at First Lutheran Church in Brookings, SD. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at Rude’s Funeral Home in Brookings.
Raymond “Ray”, the son of Melvin C. and Helen J. (Petersen) Peterson of Oldham, SD, was born on January 16, 1945. From a very early age, Ray displayed a strong interest in the arts, playing both the piano and the accordion by ear, singing solos in church and school, and by decorating display windows in his parents’ “small town Walmart” general merchandise store. He designed prize-winning floats for Oldham’s annual Field Day Parade, General Beadle’s (now DSU) Trojan Day Parade in Madison, SD and for SDSU’s annual Hobo Day Parade in Brookings. He also served as Parade Grand Marshall for both universities - at GBSC / DSU in 1971 and 2018, and at SDSU in 1998. As a vocalist, Ray sang for well over two hundred and fifty weddings and funerals in addition to Governor Nils Boe’s Inauguration in 1965 and President Nixon’s visit to the Karl Mundt Library Dedication at GBSC on June 3, 1969.
Ray graduated from Oldham High School as class valedictorian in May, 1963 and enrolled as an Art Education major at General Beadle State College the following September. Among his many collegiate activities were band, chorus, theatre, student government, and cheerleading. He supervised The Eastern newspaper and co-edited The Trojan year book, and was actively involved in the Lutheran Students Association, Kappa Sigma Lota Scholastic Honorary, and Delta Psi Omega Theatre Fraternity. Ray graduated Summa Cum Laude in the spring of 1968, worked at GBSC for a year, after which Uncle Sam called him into the Military (Army) with basic training at Fort Lewis, Washington, and specialized training in Transportation Documentation at Fort Eustis, Virginia. He was later awarded a Bronze Star for Meritorious Achievement while serving in Long Binh, Vietnam. Upon returning to South Dakota, Ray enrolled as a graduate teaching assistant in Speech and Theatre at South Dakota State University where he was to become a full-time professor, designer, and technical director for both Main Stage and Prairie Repertory Theatre - a position he held for 31 years prior to being named Director of Theatre in 2003. He retired from SDSU in the spring of 2011.
Ray was a man of integrity. Kind, caring, and a friend to everyone, he was well known for his dedication to and his passion for whatever project he had before him. He was creative, possessed strong leadership skills, and was one you could always depend on to get the job done. He enjoyed traveling and was especially fond of leading students on theatre field trips into Minneapolis, Chicago and New York City. He had special memories of traveling alone to London, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Venice, Athens, the Grecian Islands, Sydney Australia, and Hong Kong, as well as in separate trips to Scotland and Norway with Jim and Ardis Johnson.
As a highly respected judicator and speech teacher, for over five decades Ray’s travels took him throughout South Dakota judging oral interpretation and one-act play contests for the South Dakota High School Activities Association - all leading to being named the National Federation of Interscholastic Debate and Speech Association’s Outstanding Educator in 2000. He was also SDHSAA’s Distinguished Service Award recipient in 2006.
As producer and stage director of the Miss South Dakota Pageant for 54 years, Ray was able to travel throughout the United States judging 43 other state competitions. In recognition of his dedicated volunteer service, in 2016 the Miss America Organization presented Ray with Miss America Crowning Achievement Award and Governor Dennis Daugaard proclaimed June 18, 2016 as “Ray Peterson Day” -resulting in Ray being affectionately known as “Mr. South Dakota” - notoriety that would lead to his 2018 induction into the South Dakota Hall of Fame.
Ray was a charter member of Prairie Repertory Theatre and served as faculty advisor to the Alpha Psi Omega Dramatics Fraternity for 31 years. During his 40 - year tenure at South Dakota State University, he was named the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1981, 1984 and 2002.
Ray was a collector, and among his numerous collections were well - organized photo albums of family, plays and musicals, parades, trips and travels, and pageant activities. He collected SDSU Hobo Day buttons, South Dakota bobble heads, prominent sports figure bobble-heads, Broadway show DVDs and LPs, Department 56 Dickens and New England Village house and accessories, and Christmas décor of all kinds for both indoors and out. Ray loved to decorate for Christmas and his home often featured at least six themed Christmas trees, with one remaining up the year around.
While constantly busy with one project or another, Ray still found time to sing in Rick Holm’s Hopeful Spirit Chorale and to entertain at senior citizen centers and nursing homes throughout the Brookings area. A man of great faith, as a member of the First Lutheran Church in Brookings, he especially enjoyed singing in the Sanctuary Choir. Unfortunately, an automobile accident in September, 2018 paralyzed his diaphragm and silenced his vocal cords for the rest of his life.
Ray was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Rosella Tystad, and a brother-in-law, Harvey Tystad. He is survived by his adopted family, James L. and Ardis R. Johnson; Jason and Angie Johnson, Aidan Johnson and Logan Guest; and Jennifer Johnson, Coy Larson, Beckett Larson, and Tatum Larson, together with a host of relatives and friends.
Memorials may be directed to the Ray Peterson “Rookie of The Year” Scholarship Fund, C/O Miss SD Scholarship Foundation, and (or) to the Ray Peterson Theatre Scholarship Fund, C/O SDSU Foundation.
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