West Boylston – Luella K. (Kaumeheiwa) Peterson, 80, passed away on Friday, October 22, 2010 at the Oakdale Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Center after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Her husband of 44 years, George A. Peterson passed away in 1997. She is survived by her four children, Betty Ann Perez and her husband Ralph of Southbridge, Keonaona Peterson of New York City, New York, Pauahi Godbout and her husband Anthony of West Boylston and Benjamin Peterson and his wife Annmarie of West Boylston; six grandchildren, Luella and George Perez, Jennifer and Matthew Godbout, and Amanda and Jacob Peterson. She was the last surviving member of four sisters and two brothers.
Luella was born October 21, 1930 and raised in Wailuku, Maui, daughter of Benjamin and Mary Ann Kaumeheiwa. She graduated from St. Anthony’s High School in Wailuku, Maui. At the age of 21 she left Hawaii to work for the United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI) in Tokyo, Japan as clerk-typist. She met and married her husband George Peterson in 1953 and moved to Honolulu Hawaii with their first child Betty Ann. They moved to West Boylston in 1960 where they raised the rest of their family. She was a member of Chestnut Street Congregational Church and later United Congregational Church for over 30 years. She enjoyed singing with the church choir during that time.
She worked as a secretary at the Paul Revere Insurance Company for several years before joining the State Mutual Life Insurance Company. She retired as a Senior Marketing Assistant after 23 years from Allmerica Financial Services. While employed with Allmerica Financial Services she earned her Associates Degree in Business Administration from Quinsigamond Community College with High Honors.
Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, October 27th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM with a memorial service at 7:30 PM at FAY BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME, 1 West Boylston Street, West Boylston. For directions and online condolences please visit www.faybrothers.com