Kim Petersen

Kim Douglas Petersen
June 14, 1953 – September 1, 2026

There are people who leave the world better simply because of how they lived. They show up when they are needed. They make others feel welcome. They teach by example. They leave behind a legacy. Kim Douglas Petersen was one of those people.

Kim was born June 14, 1953, in San Jose, California, to Thomas Norman Petersen and Lyla Jean Petersen. He grew up primarily in San Jose and Santa Clara alongside his siblings, Cindy Burgdorf, Thomas Petersen, and Lee Petersen. His family moved around and filled those early years with experiences that helped shape the adventurous and resourceful person he would become. Some of Kim’s most treasured childhood memories came from Strawberry Lodge, along Highway 50 near Lake Tahoe, where his father operated the ski lodge for a time. The stories of those years stayed with Kim throughout his life and became many of the childhood stories his own children grew up hearing. Decades later, those memories remained an important connection to his childhood and to the family adventures that helped shape him. Kim later attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California.

One of the greatest blessings of Kim’s life was meeting Yvonne, the woman who would become his wife and partner for 49 years. Square dancing was an important part of their early years together and holds a special place in the beginning of their story. Over nearly five decades of marriage, they built a life and family together, sharing the adventures, challenges, and countless ordinary moments that make up a lifetime. Dancing remained something they shared throughout their life together; when there was music and a dance floor at a wedding or gathering, Kim and Yvonne could often be found out there together.
Kim spent his career bringing people and communities together. His career in the fair and visitor industry took him from the Susanville Fair to the Nevada State Fair, then to the Santa Clara County Fair, before eventually bringing him and his family to Winnemucca, Nevada. For more than 30 years, he served the Winnemucca community through the Winnemucca Convention & Visitors Authority, pouring his energy, creativity, and vision into a community that became home.

Kim was a visionary who was never afraid of a grand idea. Once he believed in something, he worked tirelessly to see it through, even when others did not yet share his vision. One of his early major projects in Winnemucca was championing the addition of an indoor events center. The idea faced skepticism, but Kim saw what it could become. Today, that facility is at the heart of countless community events, a lasting example of his ability to see possibilities before others could and to keep working until the vision became real.

That same spirit followed him home. Kim and Yvonne purchased a small farm, and another of his big ideas became a pumpkin patch, corn maze, and haunted house. It became an adventure for the whole family and an opportunity to introduce the community to agriculture and agritourism, helping children and families better understand where their food comes from. For Kim, even fun could be an opportunity to teach, bring people together, and make them happy.

Above all, Kim was someone you could count on. Whether someone needed advice, help with a project, reassurance, or simply a steady voice when things felt uncertain, he showed up. Family and friends knew that if they needed him, he would help find a way forward. Even when those closest to him already had an answer, they often still wanted Kim’s advice because he had a way of seeing another solution, another consideration, or a better way to approach the problem.

Kim was remarkably resourceful. If he did not know how to do something, he figured it out. In the late 1990s, he led his family in building their two-story home, and weekends became family workdays spent building, solving problems, and learning together. Kim taught without needing to give a speech. By working alongside him, his children learned not only how to build and fix things, but how to approach a problem, work through it, and trust that they could figure things out. He wasn't simply building a house; he was building confidence and passing along lessons that continue in his family today.

Kim did not just dream big for himself. He encouraged others to create adventures of their own. He had a way of seeing potential in people and nudging them toward experiences that might stretch them beyond what felt comfortable. Whether encouraging a young person to spend a summer working far from home or simply challenging someone to try something new, he helped others dream bigger for themselves. Often, the experiences that seemed hardest at first became the ones they treasured most.

Some of Kim’s greatest joys came from sharing adventures with his grandchildren. For many years, he worked with draft mules, entering them in events and sharing that part of his life with his family. Another treasured tradition was the Pendleton Round-Up Wagon Train, where horses pulled the family wagon on week-long trips through Oregon. When the Petersen trailers rolled in and a herd of kids began piling out, the running joke was that “the circus was in town.” Kim loved having everyone together, teaching the grandkids some of the old ways of doing things, slowing life down, and simply enjoying the moment.
The Pendleton Round-Up Wagon Train became one of the highlights of Kim’s year. He looked forward to it, planned for it, prepared the horses and wagon, and treasured the time on the trail. The wagon train was more than an annual trip; it was its own community of friends who shared a love of the experience. The outpouring of memories and affection from that community is another reflection of how deeply Kim connected with people wherever life took him. Kim connected with people everywhere. Family often joked that they had to allow extra time because “Papa” would stop and talk to somebody. He seemed to know everyone, and he genuinely took the time to visit. Those conversations mattered. He noticed people and made them feel seen.

Kim also had a quick, sarcastic wit and a gift for breaking up the monotony of someone’s day. A simple dinner out could become memorable because he could not resist offering a witty comment or a playful tease to a server who was expecting the usual greeting. More often than not, he left them laughing or smiling. That playful teasing became part of the Petersen family’s own love language, a way of showing affection, enjoying one another, and making ordinary moments a little brighter.

The values Kim lived by were simple and strong: work hard, do the right thing even when it is difficult, look out for others, show up when you are needed, and make your own adventures. He held himself to high standards and instilled those same values in his children. They, in turn, have passed them to their own children. That may be one of the clearest ways his legacy will continue.

In his final days at Huntsman Cancer Hospital in Salt Lake City, Kim was surrounded by love. Family gathered at his side, and he was able to speak with family and friends over the phone. He was deeply loved right up to the end. His family is profoundly grateful to the physicians, nurses, and staff at Huntsman Cancer Hospital for the extraordinary compassion and care they gave Kim and his family.
Kim’s greatest legacy cannot be measured only by job titles, buildings, events, or projects, as meaningful as those accomplishments are. His legacy lives in the people he encouraged, the communities he strengthened, the laughter he sparked, the adventures he created, the problems he helped solve, and the values carried forward by those whose lives he touched. He dreamed big, and he helped others dream bigger.

Family
Kim is survived by his wife, Yvonne Petersen; his daughter, Irene Plaisted and her husband, Payson Plaisted, and their children Callie Plaisted, Lillian Plaisted, Corbin Brutsman, and Wyatt Brutsman; his son, Travis Petersen and his wife, Elizabeth Petersen, and their children McKenzi Petersen, Alexis Petersen, and Payton Petersen; and his son, Jason Petersen and his wife, Kaylee Petersen, and their children Jillian Petersen, Camden Petersen, and Jase Petersen.
He is also survived by his siblings Cindy Burgdorf and Lee Petersen. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Norman Petersen and Lyla Jean Petersen, and his brother, Thomas Petersen.

Service
Kim’s family invites friends and members of the community to join them for a Celebration of Life, fittingly called the “Fall Farm Farewell,” on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The gathering will be a time to remember Kim, share stories, visit with family and friends, and celebrate a life that brought so many people together. Additional details will be shared as plans are finalized.