Charles “Chuck” Peterson, 77, of rural Dubuque, Iowa, passed away peacefully at Harmony Nursing Home on September 30, 2026.

A visitation will begin at 3 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 2026, at Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Rd. With services to be held at 4:30 p.m. with Rev. Will Layton officiating. Burial will take place Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel, Iowa, with full military honors by the American Legion Post #403 and the Iowa Army National Guard.

Chuck was born October 25, 1948, in Charles City, Iowa, the son of Charles and Lillian (Ziese) Peterson. He grew up in Charles City, attending school there and graduated from Charles City High School in 1966. He worked at the Oliver Tractor Plant for a short time after graduation. He attended Weaver Air School in Kansas City, Missouri. Following graduation in 1967, he moved to Chicago, Illinois working for United Airlines at the O’Hare Airport until he got drafted into the  United States Army in June 1968. He was stationed at a missile base in the Florida Keys and was sent to Vietnam in February 1969 for one tour. He returned to Chicago in 1970 and continued to work various positions at United Airlines for 34 years until his retirement in 2003. He later returned to Iowa in 2004.

He married Antonia Marine in 1972, they later divorced. Together they had two daughters, Monica and Charlotte. On October 25, 2018, he married Loretta Gray and they lived in the Dubuque area together for many years.

Chuck was a member of many associations and groups including the American Legion, VFW, Retired United Airlines Employees Association, and Mississippi Trails Hiking Club. He was also a parishioner at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bellevue, Iowa.

He loved to spend time outdoors hunting, fishing, camping, and riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle or Jeep. He also enjoyed metal detecting, traveling, listening to live music, and watching sports, especially the Iowa Hawkeyes, Chicago Cubs, and the other Chicago sports teams.

Chuck will be remembered as a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He will also be remembered for his love of animals, especially the many cats and dogs he had over the years.

Chuck is survived by his wife Loretta; his daughters Monica (Brian) Coletta of Woodridge, IL and Charlotte (Mark Cubberley) Peterson of Rockford, IL. His grandsons: Anothony and Johnny Peterson, and Frankie Pouliot; step-grandsons: Luca and Joe Coletta. Along with his beloved cat, Smokie. He is also survived by his nephew Todd (Pam) Riedmeyer and their son Henry of St. Louis, MO, as well as his niece Chris (James) Deutschmann and their children Emma and Matthew (Rebecca) of St. Louis MO.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his grandparents, a sister Gladys (Harry) Riedmeyer, and former son-in-law Frank Pouliot.

Chuck’s family extends a special thanks to Harmony of Dubuque and Hospice of Dubuque for all of their care in these last couple years.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dubuque Veteran’s Freedom Center or the Dubuque Regional Humane Society.