Hans Jorg Petermann

Hans Jörg Petermann, known as Pete to some of his friends, was born in Cortland, New York, in 1923. Both of his parents emigrated from Switzerland, and he learned Swiss-German before he learned English. He graduated from High School in Groton, New York, and started his college career at Cornell University. After completing a Bachelor in Aeronautical Engineering at Georgia Tech University, he joined the Air Force, first as a reservist, but later as a fully commissioned officer. He served as a bombardier and navigator in the Korean War, flying 55 night missions. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross in Korea and later became a founding member of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society. After serving in Korea, he married Sybil Geraldine Hill and they moved fairly frequently with the Air Force, including Texas, Ohio, Chicago, Florida, and Maryland. Along the way they had two children, Hans Jörg II and Phyllis Jane. They finally settled in San Diego in 1966. After 26 years in the military, Hans retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and turned to the private sector, working at Ryan Aeronautical and Linkabit, under Irwin Jacobs. Hans loved to travel, especially to many Swiss family reunions. He and Gerry had visited all 7 continents. He also enjoyed reading and listening to Andre Rieu concerts. He volunteered for several organizations and passed along to his family the concept of giving back to the community. He and Gerry were married 51 years before her death in 2004. Besides his children, Hans leaves behind three grandchildren, Emily, Holly, and Sarah, as well as two greatgrandchildren, Kate and Claire.

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