William Wyatt (Bill) Peterman was born on July 1, 1940, and passed away on Feb. 16, 2023, at his home.
His parents were the late Earl and Bernice Tolbert Peterman. During WWII his parents worked in Baltimore, and he spent much of his childhood with his grandparents: Wyatt and Louise Tolbert in Gether, Va., and Gold and Blanche Peterman in Floyd.
Both Gether and Floyd were special places for him. His parents moved to Turman Hill just outside of Christiansburg when he started the second grade. He graduated from Auburn High School in 1958. joined the Marines and was honorably discharged in 1962. He later attended Washington County Technical School and became a machinist.
In 1963 he married Mary Teany, his wife of 59 years. His first professional job was with General Electric in Salem. Bill and Mary moved back to Montgomery County in 1965, and he accepted a position with the Pipe Shop in Radford as a pattern maker. Bill was a talented carpenter and with the assistance of his father, he and Mary built their home.
In the early 1980s, he joined the Postal Service and carried mail in Riner until his retirement in 2001. Bill was a hard worker and a diligent mail carrier, often helping a farmer get his cattle back in a field or checking on an elderly customer along his way.
After retiring, Mary and he worked on their small farm raising cattle. He also had a woodworking and metalworking shop that afforded him the opportunity to work on projects for his children, neighbors, and friends.
He is survived by his wife Mary; his son, Ed Peterman of Washington, D.C.; his daughter, Wilma Peterman Cross, and her husband Matthew; and his granddaughter, Sadie Elizabeth Cross, all of Simsbury, Conn. He is also survived by his aunts, Helen Rutrough of Salem and Ward and Nerene Tolbert of Bassett, Va., and many nieces and nephews on the Teany side of the family, including Laura Teany Lehman, who was like a daughter to Bill. He is also survived by his long-time friend, Frank Bobbitt of Fancy Gap, whom Bill considered a brother.
Finally, his friendship with Josh Altizer and Jeff Sheppard, both of Riner, kept him busy with fun projects.
The family received friends on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, at the Mullins Funeral Home in Radford, and a graveside service followed at the Teany Family Cemetery, Currin Lane, Christiansburg.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Old Brick Presbyterian Church, PO Box 3238 Radford, VA 24143.
Bill was a man of few words, humble in nature, but kind to all.
The Peterman family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home and Crematory in Radford.
