Arthur Aristoteles "Art" Peterson, who rose to chief chemist in the Nuclear Medicine Department at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Newington, CT., died Dec. 10 following a battle with Alzheimer's. He was 89. Born June 27, 1927, and raised in Hartford, Art was the son of Walter and Anastasia (Morris) Peterson, who emigrated from Lesbos, Greece. In his early years, Art helped in his father's restaurant, the Bean Pot in downtown Hartford. After graduating from Hartford High in 1945, he joined the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of sergeant before his honorable discharge in 1946. He pursued a pre-medical course, graduating from Trinity College in 1951. He earned his master's in biochemistry in 1958 from the University of Connecticut, Storrs. He then worked as an electrochemist at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Co. East Hartford and between 1955 and 1958 was a graduate assistant in the zoology and biochemistry departments at UConn. His career took him to VA hospitals in West Haven and then Newington, where he was chief chemist in the Nuclear Medicine Department. Art simultaneously worked as an instructor in the Department of Radiology at UConn's school of medicine for several years, lecturing medical students on the use of radioisotopes. Art was active in the Masons and Shriners, singing with the organization's Chanters. He was passionate about cars and woodworking and built his own boat. He attended First Church of Christ Congregational Church in Wethersfield and sang in the choir. In recent years, he attended Rocky Hill Congregational Church. He spent his final years at West Hartford Health & Rehabilitation Center. Art was preceded in death by his brothers Peter and Spiro Peterson. He is survived by his daughter, June Peterson Arney and three grandchildren: Kyle, Lauren and Luke, and his wife of many years Eleanor (Durgin) Peterson from whom he is divorced. He also is survived by childhood friend and sister-in-law Susie Peterson of Newington and sister-in-law Yerevan Peterson, of Indiana and loving nieces and nephews. Visiting hours will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Dillon-Baxter Funeral Home 1276 Berlin Turnpike, Wethersfield, with a service at 3 p.m. and a private burial. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rocky Hill Congregational Church, 805 Old Main St., Rocky Hill, CT. To share a memory with the family, please visit www.dillonbaxter.com.