Photo by PhotoRun
Article by the Greater Long Island Running Club
"It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Pat Petersen, one of the finest athletes ever to grace Long Island with his presence. Pat was taken from us far too soon as a result of pancreatic cancer.
For those who are too young to remember, Pat was arguably the finest marathoner ever to come out of Long Island, with three "top four" finishes in the NYC Marathon and a personal best of 2:10:04 set in the 1989 London Marathon. He holds the course record of 30:27 for the Aspire 10K which has stood since 1988. Up until recently, he was a frequent participant in many GLIRC and other Long Island races, including the 2014 Aspire 10K.
Pat will be waked on Wednesday from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM and 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM at Frederick J. Chapey & Sons Funeral Home, 200 East Main Street, East Islip. Funeral services will be Thursday at 9:45 AM, at St. Mary's R.C. Church, East Islip, LI. Interment to follow.
Pat's family is in desperate need of financial assistance. Sometimes we don't think of our mortality, and Pat never purchased life insurance. His wife Bea and their four amazing children lost their dad and need our support. Every little bit helps. You can send a check (payable to Bea Petersen) and mail it to Bea at 132 Bayview Avenue, East Islip, New York 11730.
The New Hyde Park-Mineola Track Club has generously offered to donate $10.00 to the Petersen family for everyone who enters next Sunday's New Hyde Park 8 Kilometer Run between now and the day of their race. Please contact Harold Axelrod at (917) 750-5992 for more information."