Susan Alice (Gilson) Peterson

Susan Alice (Gilson) Peterson, age 92, a poet, naturalist, teacher, and beloved matriarch, passed away peacefully July 25, 2025, in Door County, Wisconsin.

Sue was born on March 24, 1933, in Port Washington, Wisconsin, the second of four children born to Alice (née Ubbink) and George Gilson. She grew up in a household full of laughter, creativity, and strong family ties—values that remained central throughout her life. She often spoke with fondness of her childhood, especially the close relationship she shared with her siblings: her sister Sally and brothers George “Jerry” and John.

In her early twenties, Sue lived briefly in New York City, pursuing further study and soaking in the intellectual and cultural richness of Greenwich Village during the 1950s. This left a lasting impression and further ignited her lifelong passion for literature, the arts, and independent thought.  Sue returned to Wisconsin to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she graduated in 1958 with a degree in literature and art history. That same year, she married Charles “Chick” L. Peterson. Chick, an artist and professor, was her partner in life and in spirit. Together, they cultivated a home rich in creativity, a love of laughter, intellect, and mutual respect.

They settled in Marietta, Ohio, where Chick taught art at Marietta College and Sue stayed home to raise their three daughters—Eve, Beth, and Sara. While Sue embraced her role as a mother wholeheartedly, she was never one to limit herself. In the early 1970s, with characteristic foresight and pragmatism, she returned to graduate school to earn her teaching certificate, ensuring financial stability for her family should the need arise. At that same time, Sue and Chick made a life-changing move to Ephraim, Wisconsin, relocating full-time to their summer home nestled in the beauty of Door County.

There, Sue’s many passions flourished. A lifelong lover of the natural world, she became an active member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and co-authored A Guide to the Birds of Door County (2004), a thoughtful and detailed field guide that has become a staple for birders in the region. The pond across from her home was one of her favorite places—a source of quiet inspiration and constant observation. She was known to sit for hours, simply watching, listening, and recording what she saw.

Sue was also a gifted and widely published poet, whose work was celebrated for its clarity, simple imagery, emotional depth, and reverence for nature and daily life. Her poetry collections, including Preparing the Fields, reflect a mind attuned to the subtleties of the world and a heart grounded in gratitude. She taught poetry classes and enrolled in a large variety of courses at The Clearing Folk School in Ellison Bay, where she also served on the board for many years. There she found inspiration in everything from philosophy to loom weaving and creating lasting friendships with many of the other teachers and students, forming a lifelong connection to Door County's unique creative community.

Though intellectually driven, Sue was also delightfully human and honest about her likes and dislikes. She openly admitted to hating cooking and avoided the kitchen whenever possible. She delighted instead in ordering her famous “hot fudge sundae, hold the ice cream” at restaurants—a playful contradiction that always made people smile. She had a sharp wit, a dry sense of humor, and a joyfully quirky perspective on life’s small pleasures.

Her family was at the heart of everything she did. She was fiercely devoted, never missing an opportunity to connect, encourage, or simply listen. She loved long chats around the dinner table, gathering for holidays, porch visits in summer, and laughing—always laughing—with the people she loved.

Sue was independent, strong-minded, and deeply empathetic. She traveled widely, read voraciously, and maintained an enduring sense of curiosity about the world and her place in it. She valued solitude but never isolation, and cultivated a life of both inner reflection and rich community.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 64 years, Chick, in 2022; her sister, Sally Ziegler; and her brothers, George “Jerry” Gilson and John E. Gilson. Sue is survived by her daughters, Eve (Ed), Beth, and Sara (Steve); her beloved grandchildren, Chris (Lisa), Eli (Maggie), Nick (Maria), Alex, Ellie, Maia (Dillon), Pete, and Emily (Cristina); great-grandchildren, Bridget, Holly, Rafael, Rosie, Ozzy, Wyatt, Adrian, and Millie; sisters-in-law, Mary, and Helen, and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends who were lucky enough to share in her thoughtful, creative, and generous spirit.

Graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 2, 2025 at Ephriam Moravian Cemetery.

Heartfelt thanks to both Cardinal Ridge and Unity Hospice for their devoted care to Sue in her final months with us.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Sue’s name to The Clearing Folk School in Ellison Bay or the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology—two places that reflect her enduring legacy of learning, observation, and care.

Her words and memory will live on in the pages of her poetry, in the rustle of the leaves she loved to walk through, and in every quiet pond and singing bird that graced her view.

Casperson Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Sister Bay is assisting the Peterson family. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Susan may be shared with her family through her tribute page at www.CaspersonFuneralHome.com.

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