Rodney Dale Petersen

Rodney Dale Petersen, 81, of Shawnee, KS, died Saturday, November 22, 2025, following a brief illness. Rod was born February 7, 1944, in Superior, NE. He was the first child born to Alvin and Virginia (McGowan) Petersen of Republic, KS.

Rod grew up helping his father on the farm, developing a love for the outdoors and an interest in science. He became an outstanding athlete while attending Republic High School. He was the state champion in the quarter-mile run his senior year, while also playing football and basketball. He attended Kansas State University, where he earned a bachelor’s of science degree in education. While at KSU, he was a member of the Men’s Glee Club, Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, and ROTC.

Rod taught at high schools in Portis, Phillipsburg, and St. Mary’s, KS. He then earned a master’s degree and became an administrator in the DeSoto, KS, school district, serving as assistant principal and athletic director at DeSoto High School, DeSoto Junior High School, and Monticello Trails Middle School. He then retired as district athletic director. Rod also coached several sports, including cross country, golf, and boys’ basketball. He led the St. Mary’s basketball team to the state tournament in his final year at the school, then took a DeSoto team that had been winless the previous season to the brink of the state tournament the following year, losing in the sub-state finals. He won more than 150 games over 11 seasons.

Rod married Nancy Charles from his hometown of Republic in 1967, and they had two children – a daughter, Christie, and son, Dane. In 1990, Rod married Joyce Mauer, a fellow educator and coach at DeSoto High School. Rod and Joyce spent more than 35 years together sharing a passion for Kansas State athletics. They were football season ticket holders and attended many bowl games. They loved to travel, taking trips to Europe, the Peruvian rain forest, a safari in Tanzania, and to numerous national parks in the U.S. They were also members of the Kansas Explorers Club. Rod and Joyce frequently traveled to the Pacific Northwest, where they especially loved spending time with their grandkids. Rod enjoyed fishing and hunting, and founded more than one chapter of the “River Rats,” a group of friends that camped by the riverside. He also loved to read, and to tend to plants in his garden and yard.

Rod was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin and Virginia Petersen. He is survived by his wife, Joyce, his daughter, Christie Kairos (Sunny) and grandchildren Jackson and Catie Eubank of Portland, OR; son Dane Petersen (Jill Nienhiser), of Lexington, MO, and sister Carol Levendofsky (James) of Belleville, KS; nephew Scott Levendofsky (Stacie) and niece Kay Rieke (Daryl), and many great-nieces and nephews. A celebration of life is planned for the spring of 2026. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in Rod’s memory be directed to the National Parks Conservation Association, or Kansas State University Libraries, through the Amos Funeral Home.