Tom Peterson, R.I.P.

Sad sad news for Oregonians on Monday the 25th when it was announced by his family that iconic businessman Tom Peterson had passed away from complications from Parkinson's disease. The late night television ads that ran here for years imploring people to "wake up!" was the stuff that salesman dream of getting people's attention, and it was his folksy and personable interaction with the public that ingrained Tom deep into the psyche of Portland and Oregon. Director Gus Van Sant had cameos for Tom in 3 of his movies, and in a concert in Salem, OR, Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain sported a Tom Peterson t shirt onstage. I will also associate Tom with the popularity of Portland wresting and roller derby as well, back in the days when there were only the three major television networks as well as the various independent stations of the day (KPTV being the big one here in Oregon at the time ). R.I.P. Tom, you WILL be sorely missed :( Wake Up no more :( This pic is from PVS In Store Graphics in NW 23rd in Portland, Oregon, taken today at about 520 am.