Lakeview Nature Center in Macomb has a new name. Members of the Macomb Park Board agreed to rename the site as the Ray Peterson Nature Center.
Peterson worked for the park district for 40 years, including 28 years as its executive director.
Park board commissioner John Hemingway is also a long-time parks aficionado, and said he’s been involved with parks in almost every part of the country.
“Ray Peterson understood the reason why we do this, why we think it’s important, better than any other administrator,” Hemingway said.
He said Peterson was dedicated to serving the park district and was passionate about making parks available to everyone.
Hemingway said Peterson laid the foundation for what the park district is today. He helped create the McDonough County Special Recreation Association, acquired the property for Veterans Park and started development of it, created the Dudley Street skate park, and much more.
Peterson is also credited with creating and developing the newly renamed nature center, which Hemingway called one of the park district’s most distinctive educational and environmental assets.
“(It) includes 55-acres of restored native prairie flora and fauna habitat, and a two-story building,” Hemingway said.
He said Peterson also served as an educator, teaching park and management courses at Western Illinois University and engaging in educational forums.
Peterson grew up in Nebraska. He graduated from WIU before going to work for the Macomb Park District in June 1976.
He started out in maintenance and held several other positions before being appointed executive director in October 1988. He was just the second executive director in the district’s history.
He retired in December 2016.
Peterson passed away on June 5, 2026 at the Elms Nursing Home in Macomb. He was 73.
Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department, please consider making a financial contribution.
