Hans Peterson, of Bullhead City, died March 2, 2023. Known to most people as Wildman, Peterson was a homeless resident of Bullhead City for five to six years.

He loved camping alongside the riverbank where he spend most of his free time.

Hans was not your average individual, he marched to the beat of a different drum, not driven by the same wants and desires as most people. Very basic and simple, he was not enticed to acquire any of life’s luxuries. His worldly possessions consisted of only the most basic needs in order to survive. His truck work tools and a couple changes of clothes which he was completely content with. Any and everything else he gave away without any concern of its value or worth. He was both original and unique in many different ways.

He was blessed with several gifted talents. He could draw just about anything and was very good at drawing personal portraits of people, and was very creative. He loved music and taught himself to play the guitar and harmonica by just listening. His skills in auto mechanics were outstanding, he could diagnose your car’s problems just by listening to it run for a few minutes. He was a painter by profession, with knowledge and experience in all phases of construction.

He was a bit of a perfectionist who took pride in all of this work, and always went the extra mile to provide more than what was expected. Regardless of where he went or where he was he always made sure to leave it in better condition than when he arrived, and everywhere he went he would always pick up any garbage lying on the ground.

He had several character traits that truly made him a unique individual. What made him stand out and shine compared to average people was his selfless kind thoughtfulness, his compassion for anyone in need and his extreme generosity. How many people do you know that will take the time to pull over in order to provide ice water to someone they noticed sitting on a curb or bench in the extreme heat. He considered it his duty to do everything in his power to help anyone he could. He would not hesitate to give people a ride somewhere even if it was hundreds of miles out of his way and usually at his expense.

And it was not uncommon for him to give away essentials that he himself needed. Any and everything he had was disposable if someone needed it. He never put his own needs in front of other people’s needs.

He considered himself to be one of God’s soldiers spreading the word to all that would listen and always willing to give or help in any way he could. He gave away good running vehicles, he purchased train tickets for people, paid their phone bills, he paid for motel rooms he never stayed in to help people get out of the cold. He took a homeless girl shopping for shoes because she was barefoot in the snow. After working a 40-hour week he would fill his gas tank and then proceed to give the rest of his paycheck away to anyone holding a sign for help. During the holidays he went around giving out $50 bills to the homeless. And he did all this on a daily basis without ever asking or expecting anything in return.

It was not uncommon for him to literally bring tears of joy and appreciation to the faces of many different people, who were shocked by his extravagant generosity. Personality traits that you just don’t see in average individuals especially in today’s society. Many people thought of him as being rare and special in his ways.

He was loved and admired by everyone whose path he crossed and his good deeds will never be forgotten by all those he was able to help. He is sincerely missed by all his friends and family.

There will be a memorial gathering from noon to 3 p.m. at the northeast corner of Rotary Park on Saturday, March 2.