University News
Gil Peterson Obituary
June 21, 2016
MACOMB, IL -- Services for former longtime Western Illinois University Athletics Director Gil Peterson will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 26 at Hodges Family Funeral Home in Dade City, FL. Visition will be held one hour prior to the funeral services. Peterson, 86, passed away June 17 in Dade City.
Peterson served as athletics director at WIU from 1970 until his retirement in 1995. During his tenure at WIU, Western's men's program moved from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) ranks to member in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). In 1972, Western moved into the NCAA Division II, and 10 years later, into Division I play with the formation of the Mid-Continent Conference. Peterson was the longest serving collegiate athletics director in Illinois, and he was a member of the NCAA 1-AA Football Committee and the AMCU Basketball Committee. WIU's athletics achievements during Peterson's term included hosting national championships in NCAA Division II track and field and gymnastics, basketball playoff games, the creation of the Gateway Football conference, football playoffs and development of a Leathernecks and subsequent Western Athletic Club fundraising program. Prior to joining the WIU athletics department, he was a football coach and athletics director at Huron College.
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; three sons, Mark, Chris and Kyle; eight grandchildren; one brother; and one sister.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Gil Peterson Athletics Scholarship Fund, c/o the WIU Foundation, Sherman Hall 303, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455-1390.
A full obituary can be found at hodgesfuneralhome.com.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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