Horst Udo "Udo" Petersen

1944 - 2021  (77 years)

• Name	Horst Udo "Udo" Petersen
  Born	3 Aug 1944	Hamburg, , Hamburg, Germany
  Gender	Male
  Business	New Dundee, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Bend All Tools & Machines
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240225379
  Immigration	1967	, Canada
  Name	Udo Petersen
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-128047
  Died	7 Sep 2021	, Ontario, Canada
  Buried	Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I128047	Generations
  Last Modified	9 Jun 2025

  
  

• Photos

  Horst Udo Petersen Horst Udo Petersen: Memorial Spaceflights (no date) Horst Udo Petersen | Memorial Spaceflights. Available at: https://www.celestis.com/participants-testimonials/horst-udo-petersen/ (Accessed: 12 December 2023).

  
  

• Notes

  Ashes of Waterloo, Ont. entrepreneur to be launched into space aboard historic mission The ashes of a Waterloo man will join the DNA of some famous historical figures on a first-of-its-kind mission into space. The remains of entrepreneur Udo Peterson will be aboard the ULA Vulcan rocket that will launch into space on Jan. 8. The mission is being carried about by Celestis, a memorial spaceflight company. "This will be the first time in our civilization's history that we will send DNA out into space," said president Colby Youngblood. "It's going be 330 million kilometers out into what's called a heliocentric orbit around the sun." The rocket will have the DNA and ashes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek star Nichelle Nichols, as well as three former U.S. presidents: George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. UDO'S CAREER Udo Peterson emigrated from Germany to Canada in 1967. He would go on to become a successful businessman in Waterloo Region. Peterson co-founded Bend All Tools & Machines in New Dundee, Ont. as a 3-person operation in 1976. The company, later known as Bend All Automotive, rapidly expanded and would eventually employ a team of over 1,200. "His motto was bigger, better, faster, stronger," said daughter Nicole Peterson. After retirement Peterson founded the Ridge at Manitou, an 18-hole golf course in McKellar, Ont. The ashes of a Waterloo man will join the DNA of some famous historical figures on a first-of-its-kind mission into space. The remains of entrepreneur Udo Peterson will be aboard the ULA Vulcan rocket that will launch into space on Jan. 8. The mission is being carried about by Celestis, a memorial spaceflight company. "This will be the first time in our civilization's history that we will send DNA out into space," said president Colby Youngblood. "It's going be 330 million kilometers out into what's called a heliocentric orbit around the sun." The rocket will have the DNA and ashes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek star Nichelle Nichols, as well as three former U.S. presidents: George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. Remains of Star Trek creator Gene and Majel Barrett Roddenberry, and Star Trek stars James Doohan and Nichelle Nichols. UDO'S CAREER Udo Peterson emigrated from Germany to Canada in 1967. He would go on to become a successful businessman in Waterloo Region. Peterson co-founded Bend All Tools & Machines in New Dundee, Ont. as a 3-person operation in 1976. The company, later known as Bend All Automotive, rapidly expanded and would eventually employ a team of over 1,200. "His motto was bigger, better, faster, stronger," said daughter Nicole Peterson. After retirement Peterson founded the Ridge at Manitou, an 18-hole golf course in McKellar, Ont. An undated photo of Udo Peterson. (Source: Celestis) UDO'S LEGACY His family said Peterson had a lifelong passion for astronomy and was curious about the possibility of life beyond Earth. "When he got sick, he had a massive brain hemorrhage. He didn't remember a lot of things but he still remembered his curiosity about the world and what is out there. He used to say to us there's a place out there, there's another world," said Nicole. When Peterson passed away in Sept. 2021, his daughters had the idea to send his ashes into space. They coordinated with the funeral home and Celestis to turn their dream into a reality. "It kind of serves as a cosmic archive or a cosmic time capsule with a snapshot of what's happening in our on our planet right now," Nicole said. Celestis said alternate burials, like space burials, are becoming more popular. "You put a headstone at a cemetery, it will only last a certain amount of time. Space burials will be the oldest memorials that it will outlast everything on Earth," said Youngblood. Celestis' deep space burial missions cost on average $13,000 USD. Sub-orbital missions start at $3,000 USD and orbital missions are over $5,000 USD. Sijia Liu CTV News Kitchener Videographer Liu, S. (2023) Ashes of Waterloo, Ont. entrepreneur to be launched into space aboard historic mission, Kitchener. CTV News. Available at: https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/ashes-of-waterloo-ont-entrepreneur-to-be-launched-into-space-aboard-historic-mission-1.6682865 (Accessed: 12 December 2023). _______________ Horst Udo Petersen AUGUST 3, 1944 \endash SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 Goodbye to my cherished Husband, our loving Dad, Opa, Brother, Family Member and Boss. To know you was to love you. You will be forever missed. Horst - Udo Petersen 03.08.1944 - 07.09.2021 With Love and Gratitude, Ingrid, Michaela and James, Nicole and Don, Hannah and Jared ...and family near and far of Kitchener, homeland Germany **** Private family service will be held with a celebration of life to follow at a later date. Contributions in Udo's memory made to the Grand River Hospital Cancer Centre would be appreciated by the family. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.couttsfuneralhome.com for the Petersen family. Horst Petersen Obituary - Cambridge, ON (no date) Dignity Memorial. Available at: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/cambridge-on/horst-petersen-10341218 (Accessed: 12 December 2023). ______________ HORST UDO PETERSEN "Im Himmel Wie Auf Erden" 1944 - 2021 The patriarch of the company many simply call Bend All, Horst Udo Petersen, passed away on September 7, 2021 at the age of 77. Udo had a profound impact on all he met, and he encountered many. Udo was the fourth son born of humble surroundings in 1944 Hamburg Germany (raised in Sorup). He trained and worked as a "shipbuilder" and in 1967 Udo and his wife Ingrid left Germany on a ship bound for Canada, as newlyweds. Although he was gone physically \endash his mother and homeland never left him. In 1976 he co-founded Bend All Tools & Machines in New Dundee, Ontario as a 3 person operation. After excelling at building tooling which was focused on the automotive parts industry in Canada, USA and Germany, the next step was to manufacture automotive parts in house. With rapid growth and expansion, Bend All Automative was born, eventually employing a team of 1200+. Bend All went on to win six worldwide General Motors Supplier of the Year awards, under Udo's Ownership. The holder of several patents, Udo had an innate ability to see and feel the way metal forms and to use that vision to invent innovative processes and products. All the while team culture thrived. Udo reminded us that work can and should be fun. Although Udo left the company some time ago, spiritually he remains. Udo was so much more than an inventive entrepreneur. His adventurous spirit and zest for life was contagious. He faced challenges with gusto. Some highlights are listed below; the list could go on: ·The founder of the award-winning Ridge at Manitou 18-hole golf course in McKellar, Ontario ·An accomplished telemark skier ·A small aircraft pilot ·A long-haul cyclist who traversed Canada and the USA, up, down and across ·An acclaimed worldwide traveler, and along that vein, an extraordinary road-trip packer who could seemingly make any amount of luggage fit into any vehicle! Most importantly Udo was a fun loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. Togetherness was at the heart of everything he did. Adventures were the best when shared. A giant of a man, larger than life in so many ways, Udo's was a life that ended too soon but was very well lived. It is highly doubtful that we will come across another like him. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/cambridge-on/horst-petersen-10341218 Horst Udo Petersen: Memorial Spaceflights (no date) Horst Udo Petersen | Memorial Spaceflights. Available at: https://www.celestis.com/participants-testimonials/horst-udo-petersen/ (Accessed: 12 December 2023).

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 3 Aug 1944 - Hamburg, , Hamburg, Germany Business - Bend All Tools & Machines - - New Dundee, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Immigration - 1967 - , Canada Died - 7 Sep 2021 - , Ontario, Canada Buried - - Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth