Keith Blake Peterson, 65, of Ephraim, Utah, passed away Dec. 31, 2021 at his cabin in Ephraim.
He was born to LuDeal and LuDean Peterson on Oct. 10, 1956 in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Blake was proud of his deep Sanpete roots.
He always said he had a happy childhood growing up on “the rez” (northeast Ephraim) with his brother, three sisters, cousins, and friends. His father worked on the railroad, so his mother was the one who chased him with a willow stick when needed.
During his youth he enjoyed sports, especially baseball and wrestling, and running wild in the east mountains. Blake was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and valued his participation as a Boy Scout.
During his years at Manti High, he learned woodworking skills that served him all of his life. He also worked on the family farm and discovered Mopars, another lifelong passion. Hunting, fishing, camping, and getting stuck on the mountain were favorite hobbies.
After graduation from Manti High in 1974, he served proudly in the National Guard, an experience he valued because it widened his world view. Blake’s abilities were many and varied, and he always had a project: cars, engines, structures, remodeling, laying rock, landscaping, etc.
He worked in the coal mine for years, after which he started a tow truck business with his brother-in-law. He also worked at Sanpete Valley Hospital as a groundskeeper. He then became a contractor, specializing in restoration of older structures and building with logs.
Blake was creative and artistic. He could see art in wood, stone, steel, and wire, and he had the talent to carve, build, and weld his ideas into reality. His family and friends have carvings, chests, vases, rocking horses, and furniture that they will forever treasure.
In 1975 his mother died, and in 1981 his brother, Kenneth, passed away as well. These were profound losses, impacting Blake deeply. From then on his struggles with substances and addictions escalated, and those struggles continued off and on throughout his life, with a 14-year period of sobriety.
In 1975 he married Dana Tricola (later divorced), and they had one son, Brandon. In 1980 he married Kathleen Moore (later divorced), and they had two children, Joshua and Shea. He married Mathilda Barreiro in 1993, later divorced, though they remained lifelong friends.
Blake is survived by his sons, Brandon (Andrea) Peterson and Joshua (Ashley) Peterson; his daughter, Shea (Landon) Nielsen; along with his ten grandchildren who he loved dearly. He is also survived by his three sisters, Christie (Doug) Court; Debbra Paradis; and Wendy (Linc) Bitting; and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Kenneth.
Funeral services will be held at the Ephraim Stake Center at 400 East Center Street on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022 at 11 a.m. Friends may call Friday morning from 9-10:30 a.m. prior to services. Interment will follow services at the Ephraim Park Cemetery under the care of Rasmussen Mortuary.
