Mayor Kenneth Peterson of Steger died suddenly Monday, leaving behind his wife, four children and two grandchildren, according to the village.
Village Trustee Tim Perchinski, a close friend of Peterson’s for 22 years, described him as a kind-hearted, community focused individual who consistently gave back to Steger in every way possible.
“He was so dedicated to Steger that he wanted to raise his family here. And he was so involved with everything,” Perchinski said. “Him and his wife, Allie, they’re just amazing people that just gave everything they had to this community.”
“I’m proud to call him my friend,” he said.
Perchinski said he and his fiancé went golfing with Peterson and Allie the day he passed. After the couples had dinner, Perchinski said Peterson went home to rest because he wasn’t feeling well.
“He rested for a while, and he went out to clear out the car from golf and made a couple trips back and forth. On the third trip, he went out and just never came back,” Perchinski said. “I think he had a massive heart attack.”
Peterson, a lifelong resident of Steger, has been village president since May 2013. He held several positions within the village, including village trustee, chairperson of the Economic Development Committee and chairman of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.
Village Clerk Mary Jo Seehausen said she has known Peterson for 43 years, and said while he was trustee and later mayor, he always made sure he had time for every person who approached him.
“He didn’t know how not to try to find help,” Seehausen said. “Ken was the type of person that would give anybody the shirt off his back, and he just always went above and beyond.”
Peterson also coached the Steger Recreational Basketball team and was involved in the Boy Scouts of America and Steger Kiwanis.
Perchinski said he met Peterson while coaching recreational basketball in Steger for their sons, who are just a year apart in age. Their relationship grew after Perchinski joined the village’s Kiwanis Club, a global organization of volunteers focused on improving the lives of children through service projects and advocacy.
Perchinski, now vice president of Steger Kiwanis, said the club was just another way Peterson gave back to the community.
Perchinski said as mayor Peterson made a significant impact on the Steger community. Perchinski highlighted one project in particular he said the former mayor worked passionately to bring to fruition.
Perchinski said Peterson recently helped the village acquire more than $2 million to replace lead service lines. Peterson was also working toward obtaining funding for drainage improvements that will help curb long-standing flooding issues, he said.
“It’s hard today, the villages just don’t get enough funds to take care of what they have to take care of,” Perchinski said.
Peterson was also a partner of the law firm Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP in Chicago.
Perchinski said Peterson, having lived in Steger for most of his life, likely earned enough from his practice in municipal and corporate finance law to move away, but he loved the town.
“He seriously loved Steger, and you know, it’s really the people in Steger that he really, truly loved,” he said.
Seehausen said the outpouring of support for Peterson’s family has been overwhelming since the village shared the news of his death on its Facebook page.
“That just goes to show how many lives he touched,” she said.
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