Oswald “Ozzie” and Louise Peterson Memorial Scholarship

One of the most difficult assignments following the death of a loved one is serving as that person’s successor trustee. It may be somewhat easier when that responsibility falls to a daughter. Just ask Kathleen Benson, daughter of Oswald and Louise Peterson, when she lost her parents.

Oswald, lovingly called Ozzie, lived in the Lynn Ranch area of Thousand Oaks with his wife Louise and family for many years. He was a flight engineer for American Airlines for 37 years and Louise did some real estate work but was, for the most part, a stay-at-home mom. She enjoyed participating in the women’s circles and prayer groups at Ascension Lutheran Church, where they were active members. Ozzie, having been inspired by the first-hand reports from fellow church members who had gone on medical mission trips, joined in on several trips, notably to Nepal and Peru.

It was through those medical mission trips that Ozzie became acutely aware of the need for well-trained medical professionals and scientists. And, it was because of those experiences that Ozzie and Louise arranged for this science-focused scholarship through their estate plan.

In 2011, it became Kathleen’s task to carry out her parents’ final wishes. Kathleen had grown up in Thousand Oaks, but at the time lived in Prescott, Arizona. She soon realized that as successor trustee, she had to rely on her own good judgment for some of the decisions that needed to be made. She especially wanted to make certain that future recipients of the scholarship had clear career goals in the sciences and that they were capable of expressing those goals in writing. The Oswald “Ozzie” and Louise Peterson Memorial Scholarship was therefore designed as a one-time award for biology or biochemistry majors (freshmen excluded) who were full-time students with a minimum grade point average of 3.5. In addition, recipients were to be selected based on the quality of an essay in which they described their goals.

Ozzie and Louise Peterson taught their daughter well. They would be pleased with the outcome of the work she did to carry out their wishes through this endowed award.