Arthur Max Petersen
Our amazing and beloved Arthur Max Petersen, age 102, transitioned from this life for his heavenly home on Monday, September 14, 2026. He is now reunited with his one true-love and wife of 76 years, Gloria. Arthur was born to Gustavo Othon and Luz Sanchez Petersen on March 30, 1924 in Mexico City, Mexico. Arthur passed peacefully, at home, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his adoring children Arthur Robert “Bob,” Martha Linda, Sonia Marie, and Samuel Michael (wife Sandra), grandchildren Sonia Avila, Robert Petersen, Raquel Castellanos, Frances, Madeline, and Josephine Petersen, great-grandchildren Miranda Avila, Kelii (wife Elizabeth) Avila, and Dominic Petersen, and great-great-grandchildren Nathaniel, Elias, and Jesse Avila. Arthur is also survived by his loving sister-in-law Elvira Davis and many nieces and nephews.
Arthur (aka Arturo) was the baby of seven children, four brothers and two sisters, all preceded in death. With his family, Arthur immigrated to San Antonio, Texas, when he was one year old. There he went to school, learned the English language, and helped his father, as a young teen, work in San Antonio’s first tortilla factory. As a teenager, Arthur attended Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, and later moved to Santa Barbara to live with his older brother and sister-in-law, Anton and Elvira Petersen.
Arthur (aka Art or Pete) entered the military in 1943 and completed basic training at Camp Roberts, Bradley California. When he saw a poster that the Army needed volunteers for the newly formed Paratroopers that paid $50/month extra, he asked “Where do I sign?” It was at paratrooper training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, that he found out why he got that extra $50. The training was intensely grueling. Parachute School followed at Fort Benning, Georgia, where Art completed five practice jumps to qualify as a paratrooper. He earned the right to wear the paratrooper jump wings, and the distinctive shiny paratrooper boots. He was an original member of the 101st Airborne Division, 2/506 Company F (Fox). The Division was sent to England where another 9 months of training would ensue in preparation for the Allied Invasion of Europe. Still a Mexican citizen, Art and a few other soldiers were granted U.S. citizenship at the American Consulate in England just 18 days prior to D-Day, June 6, 1944. Art participated in several major battles: D-Day, Normandy, France – June 6, 1944, Carentan, France – June 10 – 14, 1944, Operation Market Garden, Netherlands – September 17, 1944, Battle of the Bulge, Bastogne, Belgium – December 1944, and the occupation of Eagle’s Nest, Berchtesgaden, Germany – May 1945. He was awarded two Purple Hearts for his injuries as well as several other medals for his service. At 102, Art was without a doubt, the last remaining survivor of the “Toccoa to Berchtesgaden” men – a distinction he carried with pride among the “Five-O-Sink” soldiers. In 2024, Art was honored with the Distinguished Member of the 506th Infantry Regiment (DMOR) award by the Company Commander.
Arthur returned to Santa Barbara after the war and married his sweetheart, Gloria Davila. They raised their family in this beautiful beach town and Arthur established his own janitorial and residential cleaning business, Pacific Maintenance Service. He was an avid bowler and sponsored a team for a couple decades. Arthur and Gloria spent many summer vacations with their children at the Santa Barbara beaches, camping in Yosemite, backyard pool barbecues, and going to amusement parks. They traveled to many states across the U.S. and several countries in Europe, attending many WWII military reunions and memorial events. Arthur loved to give of himself in any way he could and liked to stay busy. He was an usher at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish and a Boy Scouts of America volunteer, to partake in activities with his two sons. He was a regular blood donor and volunteered twice a week for over 20 years at the SB VA Clinic. He found it important to speak to children at local elementary schools to keep the history of WWII alive. Art was also an active member in the VFW and the Military Order of the Purple Heart. He enjoyed distributing Buddy Poppies on Memorial Day and Veterans Day and participating in local patriotic parades with fellow veterans. In 2015, Arthur was presented with the French Legion of Honor Medal by the Consul General of France, for distinguished service in France during WWII.
Our father always gave thanks to God for surviving the war. At times, he would question why. Why was he still here when so many young men were lost? It was a question that had no clear answer. He was still here to tell the stories for those who could not and to live a good life to the fullest of his capability.
Arthur and Gloria celebrated 76 years of marriage just two months before her passing in 2024. He missed her so very much these past 2 ½ years. Now they are together forever.
Our family wishes to extend our thanks and gratitude to the wonderful doctors and nurses who cared for our father over the years. We are also extremely grateful to the Central Coast Hospice nurses, and the loving and dedicated caregivers who cared for our father.
Funeral services and celebration of life to be announced by the family.
