IN REMEMBRANCE
In Remembrance
GARY PETERSON, MD
April 1946 – April 2018
W
ith regret, I write that my mentor, business partner
and dear friend, Dr. Gary Hoover Peterson, died
from complications of Non-Alcoholic Steatohep-
atitis (NASH) on April 30, 2018.
Gary was born on April 16, 1946, to Dr. Gerald
M. Peterson and Julia Hoover Peterson. The Peterson family moved
to Louisville when Gary’s father joined the Radiology group at
Norton Infirmary.
Gary graduated from Atherton High School, Ohio Wesleyan
University, and later from medical school at the University of Lou-
isville (class of 1972). He next completed a residency in diagnostic
radiology at UofL, followed by a fellowship in gastrointestinal ra-
diology at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.
He returned to Louisville to join the faculty in the Radiology De-
partment at UofL. Gary enjoyed teaching, and the residents—I was
one of his —were all fond of him.
Gary left UofL in 1983 to join a private practice group in Bowling
Green, Ky., spending four years there before I was able to persuade
him to return to Louisville and join me at Diagnostic Medical Imag-
ing Associates (DMIA). After his return, he remained at DMIA until
his retirement in 2006. Those were the happiest and most fulfilling
years of my professional career, and asking Gary to join the group
was the best professional decision I’ve ever made. He had been my
mentor as a resident, but as the years passed, he and his wife Carol
also became my dearest friends.
Gary was an outstanding human being. He was quiet, thoughtful
and kind, going out of his way to give emotional support and com-
passionate words to loved ones and friends. He also had a beautiful
tenor voice. During his college years, he was the only non-music
major to sing with the choir. After his first year of medical school,
he sang in the Stephen Foster Story in Bardstown, Ky., and con-
tinued to sing in many weddings for family and friends. After his
retirement, he pursued many other interests. He enjoyed making
lotions and soaps out of essential oils, and even made decorative
lavender soaps for my daughter’s wedding shower. He was also an
excellent cook. I use his chili recipe to this day, and my relatives
still rave about how delicious it is.
Gary was also a brilliant tactician. He was an Emerald Life
Master bridge player, playing bridge at the Louisville Bridge Club
for many years, and serving as president twice. He was also a self-
taught computer guru, and enjoyed building computers in his spare
time, including for family and friends. He was the one we called first
when there was a computer problem at work. Many times he would
keep us from having to wait for the IT techs to arrive.
Gary is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Dr. Carol Baron
Peterson, their two daughters and their husbands, Dr. Erin Peterson
Fleming (Dr. Matthew Fleming) and Lauren Peterson Betts (Brad
Betts), their three granddaughters, and their cat, Quincy.
There was a memorial gathering at the University Club on May
19, 2018.
His family has established a fund in his memory. To donate:
Dr. Gary Peterson
Memorial Liver Research Fund (G 3006)
c/o Telly McGaha
132 East Gray Street
Louisville,KY 40202
Phone: 502-314-8295
Rest in Peace, dear friend. You will be deeply missed, and you
have left a wonderful legacy in the hearts of the many who loved
you.
- Jeri Irwin, MD
Dr. Peterson was a GLMS member for 37 years.
AUGUST 2018
31