Dr. Johnny Wayne Peterson

Funeral services for Dr. Johnny W. Peterson, 76, of Pittsburg will be at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at Erman Smith Funeral Home Chapel with Dona Cassell and Pastor Don Sides officiating.  Interment will be in the Ebenezer Cemetery in Camp County.  Arrangements will be under the direction of Erman Smith Funeral Home.  He passed away Thursday, June 8, 2023, in a Pittsburg nursing home.

Dr. Peterson was born August 30, 1946, in Gilmer, TX to Ira B. and Verna V. Beckham Peterson.  He was a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch a member of Highlands Baptist Church in La Marque, Texas.

An internationally recognized bacteriologist who authored more than 150 publications and was cited by other researchers nearly 3,800 times.  Dr. Peterson joined UTMB in 1972 after receiving his PhD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.  At the age 25, he was the youngest medical school faculty member in UTMB’s history at that time.  Dr. Peterson was an internationally recognized expert in toxin-mediated bacterial diseases, including cholera, anthrax, and salmonellosis, was well-funded by the National Institute of Health for his entire career, and was frequently invited for study sections, and as an invited speaker for national international meetings. The major focus of his research for the past two decades was on the evaluation of therapeutics and vaccines against anthrax infection and other biodefense pathogens.  Colleagues in his department and in the GNL celebrate his career in 2020, when Dr. Peterson retired.

Dr. Peterson is survived by his wife, Judy Peterson; son, Paul E. Peterson and wife, Tina; daughter, Angela C. Rozell and husband, Mark; and grandchildren, Alane Rozell, Andrew Rozell, and Jude Peterson.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

Pallbearers will be Lance Rowe, Larry Young, Staten Delaney, Robbie Moore, Andrew Rozell, Billy Young, Ken Brown, and Jason Young.

Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at Erman Smith Funeral Home Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to UTMB’s scholarship fund in memory of Dr. Johnny W. Peterson at 301 University Blvd. Department of Development Services Galveston, TX 77555-0148 or https://development.utmb.edu/give (select “other” to specify in Memory of Dr. Johnny W. Peterson). Contact 409.772.5136 with any questions.  In addition, you may donate to the Pittsburg Class of 1964 or Ebenezer Cemetery Association, 315 Rusk Street, Pittsburg, TX 75686.