Peterson, David H. age 75, died on Saturday, October 15, 2016 at his home in Coon Rapids, MN following a battle with colon cancer. He is survived by his wife, Betty Louise (Stroschein) Peterson after 56 years of marriage; his son Richard and wife Melanie Peterson; his son Randall and husband Michael Clegg-Butt; his daughter Suzanne and husband Scott Peterson; six grandchildren: Nathan and wife Alauna Peterson, Megan Peterson, Kelsey Peterson, Nicholas Peterson, David Staneslow, and Rebecca Staneslow; three step grandchildren Jacob, Julia, and Joshua Wedge; three great grandchildren Finley, Rowan, and Gemma Peterson; and his sister Linda (Peterson) Fredrick. Born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, David was the son of Nobel and Katherine (Moen) Peterson. He was raised in Fergus Falls, and lived most of his adult life in Coon Rapids and Oak Grove, Minnesota. In his early years, David had a number of jobs, most notably delivering newspapers and working on fleet vehicles for Ottertail Power Company. After graduating from high school in 1959, he married his high school sweetheart, Betty Louise Stroschein and started a family. He then moved the family to Grand Forks, North Dakota to attend the University of North Dakota where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1964. After graduating from UND, David began working for Northern States Power. He rose through the ranks of NSP over the next 25 years, starting in power plants and rising to the level of running fuel supply at corporate level. At that point he was given the opportunity by NSP to start a new business, which became NRG Energy. In preparation for this role, he attended the Senior Executive Program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. As CEO of NRG, he led a company that specialized in buying and operating power assets around the world. For 15 years he travelled across the globe from Germany, to Bolivia, Pakistan, Turkey and Australia, building the company. He would oftentimes take his wife Betty along on his travels. Together they travelled to the six inhabited continents, met Presidents and Prime Ministers, and even had a near-miss with a stampede of elephants in South Africa. One of his proudest moments was achieving listing status on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for NRG, where he got to ring the starting bell at the exchange on Wall Street. But the achievements about which he always spoke most passionately were the successes with the people he worked with. It was not just that he made many life-long friends through work, but he took particular joy in giving people opportunities that they had never had from any other boss. He believed that if you have faith in people they almost always step-up. David always strived to treat people who worked for him like family. He mentored his staff in the same way he would later mentor his grandchildren. As a result, both his work colleagues and his family consistently described him as: inspiring, motivating, ambitious, and demanding but fair. He took pride in everything he did, and expected and helped others to do the same. David had many passions in life. He loved cars and all things mechanical. By age 21 he owned 21 cars and was racing dirt track stock cars. He also loved the outdoors, especially farming, snowmobiling and hunting. He drove to Ottertail County, MN on the weekends for 7 years to farm with his father-in-law, and drove to Ramey, MN for 15 years to farm with is daughter. His snowmobiling took him many places from Hayward, WI to Yellowstone National Park and inside the Arctic Circle. His hunting took him around Minnesota for deer and West to Montana to hunt antelope and elk. But what excited him most was sharing his passions with other people. He always took his sons and grandsons on these excursions. A Celebration of Life is to be held on Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at Washburn-McReavy Coon Rapids Chapel, 1827 Coon Rapids Blvd., Coon Rapids (763-767-1000). Visitation is at 1 PM and the service of remembrance is at 2 PM. There will be an open invitation for anyone who would like to share stories and memories of David to do so as a part of the service. In lieu of flowers or other memorials, and in accordance with David's wishes and life, the family requests that you support the cause of the Sno Ghosts Snowmobile Club of Anoka County, of which he was a 40 year member. Donations can be made to: North Anoka County Emergency Foodshelf (NACE) Nacefoodshelf.org PO Box 2 Cedar, MN 55011 763-434-7685