John R. Bookwalter M.D.

1938 - 2025

In the early morning hours of May 2, 2025, after a long illness and gradual decline, Dr. John Robert Bookwalter passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family. He was 86.

Born May 23, 1938, in Youngstown, Ohio, to Henry Lee and Mary Stephens Bookwalter, John was the eldest of five children. He grew up in the small, close-knit town of Columbiana, Ohio, where his father, Henry, and grandfather, Harry, both physicians, inspired his early passion for medicine.

John attended Amherst College, where he was a member of the Chi Psi Fraternity. He graduated in 1960 with a degree in biology. In the fall of 1960, he started his medical training at Harvard Medical School (1960-1964). He completed his internship and surgical residency through the Harvard Surgical Service (1964-1970) and went on to specialize in thoracic surgery at New England Deaconess Hospital (1972-1973). He became board-certified by the American Board of Surgery in 1971 and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery in 1976.

In 1963, he married Judith Ann Newberg, with whom he had two sons, William Henry and Thomas Anderson. After their marriage ended in 1983, John married Marilyn Frances Germon in 1984. Together they raised two children, Elizabeth Lee ("Lili") and Edward Germon, and built a life together in Putney, Vermont-a place John lovingly called "heaven on earth."

John proudly served his country, first as a Major in the U.S. Army Medical Corps at Fort Bragg (1970-1972) and later in the Army Reserves, where he rose to the rank of Colonel (1986-1990).

Though trained at Harvard, John was drawn to rural practice, following the path of his father and grandfather. From 1973 to 2012, he was a dedicated general surgeon at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH), working alongside colleagues he deeply respected, including Drs. John Dixon, John Carmody, and later Gregory Gadowski. He served as President of the BMH Medical Staff (1980-1982), Chief of Surgery (1999-2005), and was one of the original hospital corporators. Known for his generosity and warmth, he would often leave jars of jelly beans in the nurses' stations, grateful for the "hard work" nurses performed in patient care.

Dr. Bookwalter's legacy extends beyond his surgical practice. As the inventor of the renowned Bookwalter Retractor System™, first introduced in 1979, he revolutionized surgical exposure in the operating room. Over the decades, he continually refined the system, always mindful of backward compatibility. He often said, "Good exposure is the key to good surgery," and regarding surgical tools: "An instrument might not be the most important-until you need it."

His expertise and innovation were widely recognized. He served as a consultant for Johnson & Johnson (2004-2012), the Ethicon Innovation Council (1995-2004), Symmetry Medical, and Aspen Medical. He was active in many professional organizations, including the American College of Surgeons, the New England Vascular Society, and the New England Surgical Society. He proudly led the Sedgwick Society as its president from 1999 to 2004.

Beyond medicine, John was deeply devoted to his community. He generously gave his time and quiet acts of kindness to many individuals and local organizations, serving on boards including The Grammar School, the Putney School, the Vermont Paramedic Training Program, the Southern Vermont Health Foundation, and as Medical Director of the Thompson House Nursing Home (1988-2005). For decades, he was an enthusiastic supporter and board member of Rescue, Inc., in Brattleboro.

Despite his many achievements, John remained grounded and humble. His optimism, humor, and steady character touched everyone who knew him.

In his personal life, John was an avid reader, especially of world and U.S. history. He had a passion for high-performance cars and loved attending Formula 1 races in Montreal with friends and family. A proud Corvette owner, he famously burned up his first Corvette after "souping it up" on Interstate 91-earning the watchful attention of the local state troopers.

Above all, John was loyal to his family and friends, always striving to be his best self. He leaves behind timeless words of wisdom, which those who loved him will carry forward:

-Treat everyone with CKR (courtesy, kindness, and respect).

-Some of us learn from other people's mistakes; some of us are the other people.

-Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.

-Perfection is the enemy of good.

-It's a privilege to care for sick people.

-It's not what happens to you; it's how you deal with it.

-Why not? (try something new).

-Things have a way of working out.

John is survived by his beloved wife, Marilyn; sons William, Thomas (Deborah), and Edward (Nora); daughter Elizabeth Lee (Evart); sisters Stephanie (Joshua) Lane, and Mary (Peter) Thomas; five cherished grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his dear brothers, Thomas (Lynda) and James (Fredrika).

Graveside committal services with full military honors will be conducted Saturday (5/10) at 11:00 a.m. in the family lot in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Putney. A reception will follow at the First Congregational Church Hall, Route 5 in Westminster. Friends may call at Atamaniuk Funeral Home Friday from 4-6 p.m.

John's favorite charities were Rescue, Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302 and the Putney Fire Department, P.O. Box 233, Putney, VT 05346.

End-of-life services are being arranged through Atamaniuk Funeral Home, Brattleboro, Vermont. To share a memory or offer condolences to John's family, please visit www.atamaniuk.com.