Peter Graham Johnson

Peter Graham Johnson had a hundred thoughts for every thought that he shared, all of them interesting (at least to him), most of them deep, some of them esoteric. No subject was off limits to his brilliant mind and endless curiosity. Rarely would you see him without a book, newspaper, magazine, or when technology progressed, his treasured Kindle in hand. Dogs could be barking, the television blaring (usually with MSNBC), and grandchildren playing and there in the middle of it all sat Peter, often with a beloved pet in his lap, reading about whatever topic had caught his attention. This is not to say he wasn’t available for the people in his orbit. He answered every and any call from his children, grandchildren and friends offering counsel, be it medical, professional, or personal. Somehow, no matter the concern or question, he knew exactly what needed to be said, dispensing calming wisdom with humility and kindness. Always kindness.

Peter chose to practice medicine in places and with people overlooked by others. He relished learning about people’s lives, their challenges and joys, so much so that the wait time in his office ran long. When he asked, “So, what’s going on?” he took the time to listen to the response, no matter how often the front office staff reminded him of the ever-growing list of patients waiting to be seen. Never one to care about status he rarely used his title, introducing himself only as “Peter Johnson.” When a colleague once admonished him to wear a whitecoat telling him, “You don’t look like a doctor.” He responded, “I don’t need to look like one, I am one.” His calling was simply to care for people with compassion, without judgement and with kindness. Always kindness.

A native of Nova Scotia, Canada, he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in political science from Dalhousie University. After a brief tenure teaching political science at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, he returned to Dalhousie and completed his medical degree. He later attended the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Public Health. He then completed a residency in public health at Duke University. After serving several hospitals and companies in the field of occupational medicine, he returned to family practice, coming full circle by ending his medical career tending again to patients in an underserved community.

He loved his work and never wanted to retire, but a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia, put him on the receiving end of the care he’d given for decades. Although his physical and mental capacities diminished, his graciousness remained until the very end. “Thank you so much” may well have been the second to last sentence he was able to voice, the final one surely being, “I love you” accompanied by his whole face encompassing smile.

When he knew what the trajectory of his illness would be, he told his family that he “was curious about the dying process.” Always more scientific than spiritual, more skeptic than certain, and with no tolerance for religious hypocrisy or public displays of piety, he believed in the end, what remains is grace, mercy and kindness. Always kindness.

Peter will be remembered with more gratitude that can be measured by his wife, Kathy, his children Joy Dascalakis (Demetri), Jill Duffield (Grant), Graham Lyons (Jack), his stepchildren Leigh Ann Dickens (Chuck), Lisa Norris (Bryan), Eric Deaton (Ginnie), his eleven grandchildren and his sister, Sue Devitt (Dave). He was preceded in death by his parents Robert and Jean Johnson and his sister Margo Henderson.

A memorial service will be held 11:00 am on February, 15, 2025 at First Presbyterian Church, 508 W. Davis St., Burlington, NC 27215.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Peter’s name to Mustard Seed Community Health, 238 S English Street, Greensboro, NC 27401 or the Humane Society of the Piedmont, 4527 West Wendover Ave., Greensboro, NC 27409.