By Emmariah Holcomb
Staff Writer
Monday morning, Dr. Jeff Peterson, associate professor and department chair of finance, passed away following his battle with bladder cancer. The funeral will take place at 11 a.m. tomorrow in United Congregational Methodist Church in Salamanca.
A memorial service will take place at 4 p.m. Monday in the University Chapel. A reception will follow in the Doyle Dining Room.
“Jeff was a great friend and the best boss I have ever had,” said Jim Mahar, associate professor of finance.
According to Mahar, Peterson gave his professors the freedom to do what they wanted while also holding them to a high standard. He was flexible when he could be, but stern when he needed to be.
“His overriding goal was to improve the long-term prospects for Bonaventure students,” Mahar said.
Andrew Brennan, ‘10, created a Facebook page for Peterson prior to his passing. He said he believes the messages of support helped Peterson in his final days.
“I want to personally thank the 480-plus people who liked his page, prayed and sent him messages,” Brennan said. “Dr. Peterson cared about his students and would do anything he could for them.”
Peterson was who teachers are supposed to be, Mahar said. He didn’t prepare his students for a particular job, but taught them to think and be prepared for any job.
“Jeff was a brilliant person who translated his brilliance into teaching excellence,” Mahar said. “He did everything he could to assure student success not only in the classroom, but in future board rooms.”
Brennan agreed.
“Peterson was a great professor and a true friend who changed many lives and he will never be forgotten,” Brennan said.
Dominic Greene, a sophomore accounting major, also spoke about Peterson as a professor.
“This is honestly a tragic loss, my class had a moment of silence for him. He was one of my favorite professors last year,” Greene said.
Through his efforts, determination and hard work, Peterson built a successful finance program. Students in the program for the past six or seven years (since the test has been given at SBU) have scored in the top five percent on tests given at more than 500 universities.
“Those results as well as the incredible job placements of his past students are the best marketing we can do as a school,” Mahar said
Mahar said he believes it is now up to all of us to keep Peterson’s legacy going.
“In short, Dr. Peterson was a once-a-generation scholar who will be impossible to replace,” Mahar said.
