Stephen Dickey Petersen

Services are pending at this time.

Stephen Dickey Petersen was born in Spencer, Iowa on December 26, 1943, the second son of Alma and J.C. Petersen. He passed away February 20th in Austin, Texas. Steve spent many happy summers near Lake Okoboji, where he raced sailboats from 1953 to 1969 as a member of the Okoboji Yacht Club, an early passion that remained central to his life.

After graduating with honors from Spencer High School in 1962, he attended Iowa State University and Stetson University before completing his B.B.A. in Accounting (1966) and J.D. (1969) at the University of Iowa. Under pressure from the military draft, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was commissioned as a captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. His active-duty assignments included the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea (1970–71), the Military Traffic Management and Terminal Service in Oakland (1971), and Sixth Army Headquarters at the Presidio of San Francisco (1971–73). He also served summer reserve duty at the Pentagon into the early 1980s, retiring from military service in 1994 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In late 1973, Mr. Petersen was appointed an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles, where he handled a broad range of federal civil litigation while living in the Marina District, Woodland Hills, and Calabasas. After rising to First Assistant Chief of the Civil Division, he was appointed to the Superior Court of California in 1988 by Governor George Deukmejian. As a judge, he presided primarily over civil matters and was known for his diligence, fairness, and command of the courtroom.

He retired from the bench in 2006 and moved to Florida with his longtime partner, Emily Dolak, whom he had met in 1984. Retirement brought opportunities for travel and learning, including summer study programs in Italy and France, along with an annual return to Okoboji to boat with lifelong friends. After Emily’s passing in 2015, he lived in Naples, Florida, closely following the worldwide sailing adventures of his grandnephew Chapman.

In 2017, he reconnected with a college acquaintance, Nancy Groseth. After years of visits between Florida and Texas, they made their home together in Austin, Texas in 2024.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Alma and J.C. Petersen, and his grandniece Melinda. He is survived by his brother Phil (Kathy), nephew Jim (Polly), and grandnephew Chapman.

Steve made many friends in many places and treasured them all. His warmth, intellect, and loyalty left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him.