Alonza Gene Peterson, 71, of Norwalk, CT was promoted from this life to be with his Lord and Savior in his heavenly home on Thursday, May 19th, 2022 after his battle with pancreatic cancer.
On this day, he was embraced by his late wife, Carlyn D. Peterson and daughter, Deloris J. Peterson; his father, Willie Ernest Peterson; brothers Robert and Freddie Peterson; and his sister, Emma Peterson Gatlin-Price.
Alonza, affectionately known as “Gene” to his immediate family, and “Lonzo” to his friends and loved ones, was born on December 23rd, 1950 in New Bern, NC but spent the majority of his life in Norwalk, CT. He was a caring father and grandfather who loved his family unconditionally, and he would do his best to ensure their needs were met even if that meant momentary discomfort for himself. Likewise, he was just as committed to his friends as he was to his family. However, nothing was more important to him than his love for Jesus Christ! He would brag about all of the good things the Lord had done for him, and he would welcome you to get to know Him for yourself. There was never a day he did not talk about Christ or offer the salvation prayer to a stranger. He illustrated God’s love, patience, grace, and kindness during his time on earth; and he shared the goodness of Jesus to anyone who would listen, all the way up until his last breath.
He moved to Norwalk in the summer of 1973, and in the following year of November 1974, he decided to enlist in the Navy. He was briefly stationed in Great Lakes, IL until an abrupt and serious injury during training cut his time short, and eventually he was honorably discharged from his branch. Once he arrived back in CT, he had incorporated the training and work ethic he learned in the Navy and applied it to his lifestyle. Ultimately, he was known by his employers for being punctual, as well as being an extremely hard worker, and he was known to take pride in his work. He was hired by Ferro Corporation in their maintenance division where he worked for 14 years before the company moved to MA. He then devoted his time and efforts to the United Parcel Service (UPS) for eight years, then dedicated another eight years to Morgan Sign Company; and eventually he retired from the United States Postal Service (USPS) after eight years of service in their maintenance department.
During his retirement, he spent much of his time reading his bible and attending services at his home church, Canaan Institutional Baptist Church. He loved his church family, and would proudly announce that Reverend Ewell was his favorite preacher next to T.D. Jakes. Lonzo also loved to spend many summer days outside with his grandchildren Hazell Robinson and Talana Thomas. Every Saturday he went fishing behind Norwalk Community College and visited local tag sales. He found a new love for collecting coins and would research the history of various rare coins in his free time. He loved to attend the annual Oyster Festival, as this was the ideal time and place to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to patrons. You would always find him giving back in some kind of capacity within the community; whether it was helping out a stranger financially, or carrying bags up the stairs for an overwhelmed individual, or simply praying for someone who needed to see God’s hand in their lives…there he was offering support because it brought him great joy to do the work of the Lord. Earlier in life, he was very proud that he got the opportunity to co-pilot and fly a small charter plane; and with the help of a music producer, he was able to record a song he wrote for Carlyn during their marriage. Lastly, Lonzo was known around town for his selflessness and generosity. For several consecutive summers, he would buy buckets of flowers and pass them out to mothers in the neighborhood on Mother’s Day in order to honor them, and they were highly grateful for the genuine gesture. He was truly a man of God and a “people person,” as he was well liked and got along with everyone. Alonza is survived by his children, Olivia Dardy, of Norwalk, CT and Muhammad Ali Dardy, of Bridgeport, CT; his mother Emma King Peterson, of Vanceboro, NC; his brothers Leo Peterson, of Taunton, MA and Clinton Peterson, of New Bern, NC; five sisters, Gloria Peterson, of Vanceboro, NC; Barbara Burke, of Brockton MA; Doris Richards, of Havelock, NC; Willie May Moore, of Dover, NC; Addie Ruth Blount, New Bern, NC; several beautiful grandchildren, and a host of loving nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, May 27, 2022 at 9:30am at Canaan Institutional Baptist Church, 31 Concord Street, Norwalk , CT Interment will take place at Veterans Cemetery in Middletown, 317 Bow Lane, Middletown, CT 06457.
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