She was born Feb. 24, 1958, in Elkhart to Robert A. and Rosemary (Ryan) Petersen.

Her parents, Robert and Rosemary, survive in Elkhart along with three brothers, Mike (Margie), Dave and Steve Petersen, all of Elkhart.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Douglas Petersen.

Friends may call from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St., Elkhart. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, with the Rev. Bill Sullivan to officiate. Burial will follow at St. Vincent Cemetery in Elkhart. A vigil service will take place at 3:45 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Ms. Petersen was a teacher for many years, having taught in the Concord Community Schools, St. Thomas the Apostle, Westside Middle School in Elkhart, and also at Holy Cross and St. Joseph's High School in South Bend. She was most recently working as a paraprofessional at Concord Southside. She also worked at Romar Software and formerly taught computer classes at Ivy Tech. She was a 1976 graduate of Elkhart Memorial High School and a 1980 graduate of Ball State University. She then received her master's degree from IUSB in 1987.

Ms. Petersen was a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, where she formerly taught religious education and was involved with the Disciples in Mission and Cursillo groups. She had always enjoyed swimming and was a competitive swimmer in high school, college and with the master's program at the YMCA. She was also a former swim coach at the Elkhart Elks and baby-sat at the Women's Shelter to help out.

Memorials may be made to LoveWay, 54151 C.R. 33, Middlebury, IN 46540. Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.billingsfuneralhome.com.