For rugby teammates, a brother and friend: Dominic Peterson represented the United States in the U19 men’s rugby team that won the Rugby Americas North Championship this past summer. / Photo by Karen Drinkwater
In Memory of Dominic Peterson
Our deepest sympathies are with his family and loved ones, and with the rugby teammates, coaches, classmates, faculty, and staff whose lives he touched.
Dear Saint Mary’s campus community,
It is with profound sadness that I share the news that Saint Mary’s sophomore Dominic Peterson passed away Friday after experiencing a medical emergency during a training run with his rugby teammates in Moraga.
Dominic’s death is a heartbreaking loss for our entire community. Our deepest sympathies are with his family and loved ones, and with the teammates, coaches, classmates, faculty, and staff whose lives he touched. We hold all of them close in our hearts and prayers as they confront this unimaginable loss.
Our community gathered to remember Dominic at a Memorial Mass on the morning of Saturday, September 5, in the Saint Mary’s College Chapel. All members of the Saint Mary’s community were invited to attend as we honored Dominic’s life and came together to surround his family, friends, and teammates with our prayers and support.
A native of Los Altos Hills and a graduate of Gunn High School in Palo Alto, Dominic came to Saint Mary’s after playing for eight years with the East Palo Alto Razorhawks, a rugby community he once described as a second home. This past summer, he represented the United States as a member of the USA U19 men’s rugby team that won the Rugby Americas North Championship.
At Saint Mary’s, he became part of another close and deeply connected rugby family. The bonds forged among teammates are powerful, and I know that Dominic’s fellow Gaels are grieving the loss of a brother and friend.
We recognize that news of Dominic’s death may be especially difficult for those who knew him and for others who have experienced loss. Counseling and Psychological Services is available to support students, while faculty and staff may find support through our Employee Assistance Program. All students have free access to Timely Care for immediate support and services. Staff in our Mission and Ministry Center and members of our De La Salle Christian Brothers community are also available to offer pastoral care and a place for prayer and reflection.
At a moment of such profound sorrow, let us surround Dominic’s family, friends, teammates, and all who loved him with the compassion and care that define our Saint Mary’s community. May Dominic rest in peace, and may all who mourn him find comfort and strength in one another.
Sincerely,
Roger J. Thompson, EdD
President
Remembering Dominic Peterson
At the request of the family, donations can be made to the Dominic Peterson Memorial Fund—established in loving memory of Dominic and the lasting mark he left on Saint Mary’s College, and to provide meaningful support for the Gaels Men’s Rugby program in his honor. Donations can also be mailed to: Men's Rugby - In Memory of Dominic Peterson, Attn: Rebecca Harper, 1928 Saint Marys Rd., Moraga, CA 94575. We invite all those who were touched by his life to come together in his memory and support the Saint Mary's Rugby community he was part of.
