Tommy (Tom) Chris Peterson

September 17, 1949 – September 11, 2026

Tommy (Tom) Chris Peterson, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, teacher, and mentor, died Sept. 11, 2026, at his home surrounded by family. He was 76.

Born Sept. 17, 1949, in Logan, Utah, to Odell “Pete” and Gwen Weston Peterson, Tom spent much of his life in Cache Valley, where family, education, art, and Utah State University became enduring threads in his story.

Tom grew up in a family that knew the value of hard work. During his youth and through high school, he worked at Pete’s Spudnut, the Logan institution founded by his father in 1946. For generations of Cache Valley residents, the Spudnut was more than a place for spudnuts, burgers, and shakes — it was a gathering place, a landmark, and a family enterprise in the truest sense. Like all of the Peterson children, Tom was part of it.

Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in clothing and textiles with an emphasis in fashion design from Utah State University in 1972, followed by a master’s degree in home economics and consumer education, emphasizing fashion design and color theory, in 1973.

After beginning his academic career at the University of Vermont, Tom returned to Logan and joined the faculty at Utah State in 1976. He later earned a doctorate from Colorado State University in 1980, in vocational administration.

Over a career spanning more than three decades at Utah State, he taught fashion design, merchandising, and interior design; advised and mentored generations of students; established USU’s interior design program; and served the university and his profession in numerous leadership roles.

Alongside his academic career, Tom maintained an active interior design practice, lending his distinctive eye to numerous homes and businesses as well as projects across the Utah State campus. His work included the Stan L. Albrecht Agricultural Sciences Building and the Noelle E. Cockett Life Sciences Building, among others.

Thousands of Aggies knew him simply as the professor who taught them to look at the world a little differently. Tom developed the Creative Arts course which became one of Utah State’s most popular general education courses. He approached the arts with what he called a “broad brush stroke,” introducing students to music, dance, painting, cinema, theater, design, and other forms of creative expression.

Tom understood that not every student arrived eager for these experiences — that was the point. He wanted students not to simply study art, but to experience it — to develop an appreciation for something unfamiliar and allow it to become part of what enriched their lives. It was his conviction that education is a growth activity — never fully completed.

That conviction extended far beyond his classroom. As an adviser and mentor, Tom cared deeply about the students entrusted to him. His commitment to teaching and students earned him numerous honors, including College of Family Life Teacher of the Year in 1999 and 2001, multiple College of Family Life Adviser of the Year awards, and the Interior Design Educators Council Merit Award. In 2002, he was selected to deliver Utah State’s 27th Annual Honors Last Lecture, titled “If It Speaks to You, Listen; If It Is Mute, Move On.”

Tom once described one of the basic tenets of his Creative Arts course this way: “Art changes, it does not get better.” There was always something more to experience, something unfamiliar worth understanding and something new to learn. He spent his career encouraging others to participate in that process — to look closely, listen carefully, remain curious, and never stop learning. Tom believed that if he could help something take root in a student that would continue to grow, he had succeeded. By that measure, he succeeded beyond measure.

For all the lives Tom touched at Utah State, the people at the center of his own life were his family. Tom and Sydney shared 44 years of marriage and built a life centered around family, friends, and a home filled with people. They loved entertaining and both had an eye for creating beautiful, meticulously decorated spaces. Beyond the aesthetics, what made their home special were holiday and birthday celebrations, long meals around the table, friends, and generations of family spending time together.

Tom and Sydney loved sunshine and especially treasured their time in St. George, where visits from family meant hours around the pool followed by wonderful meals together. Their shared appreciation for the arts also meant supporting local performances and the Cache Valley arts community, along with regular trips to Salt Lake City to see touring Broadway productions.

Tom enjoyed the rituals of home — tending his yard during the summer months, reading the Sunday edition of The New York Times and, perhaps most memorably, making a big bowl of popcorn for the family’s Sunday evening movie tradition. He had an eye for beauty and creativity in nearly all their forms and was famously fashionable and attentive to detail. He noticed things — color, texture, proportion and presentation — that others might pass by. Art and design were not simply subjects Tom taught; they were part of how he experienced the world.

Tom is survived by his wife of 44 years, Sydney Mitchell Peterson; his children, Burke Peterson; Kate Peterson Astle (Jared); Maren Hinckley Cartwright Aller; and Christian Hinckley (Anne); and his grandchildren, Noah Cartwright (Jamie); Cole Cartwright; Tess Aller; Addison Astle; and Alivia Astle.

He is also survived by his siblings, Penny Peterson Bagley (Bill); Jack Peterson (Marsha); and Peggy Peterson Harris (Mark); his sister-in-law, Sharon Peterson; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Odell and Gwen Weston Peterson; his brother, Jerry Peterson; and his nephew, Brandon Bagley.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Tom and Sydney Peterson Scholarship in the Arts at Utah State University, supporting future generations of students.

• Your gift will be used only for the above-stated purpose if the required minimum endowment level of $25,000 is met by September 30, 2031.  If not met, the gift will be considered expendable towards the stated purpose.  
• The Endowment will exist in perpetuity.  If circumstances arise that render the stated purpose of the Endowment (as set forth herein) illegal, impractical, impossible, or wasteful (e.g., a change in law, the elimination of a USU program, position, or course of study, the persistent unavailability of scholarship recipients that meet the criteria, etc.); then, as set forth in this Solicitation, under such circumstances and in keeping with Utah Code 51-8-501(1), USU may designate a new purpose [and/or scholarship selection criteria] for the Endowment.  Any such new purpose shall be defined by USU’s President and Dean of the College.
• The Endowment will be invested under the direction of the University Public Treasurer. Oversight and advisement of investments will be provided by the USU Investment Advisory Committee in accordance with USU’s investment policy. The USU Foundation is the legal entity designated by USU to receive charitable gifts in support of its academic mission.
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• By letter dated May 21, 2008, the Internal Revenue Service has declared the USU Foundation (federal tax identification number 87-0627128), to be a duly qualified charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) and also an organization described in sections 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(iv) of the Internal Revenue Code.  The Foundation is a duly chartered active Utah nonprofit corporation, under the provision of Utah Code, Title 16, Chapter 6a.