Obituary: Robert J. Johnson, MD, 1939-2026

After a meaningful and productive life filled with the love of his family and the respect of his colleagues, Robert J. Johnson, MD passed away on February 2, 2026. To his many friends and family, he was known as Bob or Johns.

The son of Virginia (Carney) and Robert Johnson II, Bob was born on August 7, 1939, in Iowa Falls, Iowa. He attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and received his medical degree from the University of Iowa in 1964. He completed his surgical internship at Philadelphia General Hospital and later returned to the University of Iowa for orthopedic residency training. After serving as chief of orthopaedics and hospital services during a tour of duty in the United States Air Force at Loring Air Force Base in Maine, he arrived in Vermont in 1971. He first accepted an appointment as assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery in the University of Vermont College of Medicine and was promoted to professor in 1980. Additional training along the way included a fellowship in sports medicine from 1978 to 1979 at Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. Bob was named the McClure Professor of Musculoskeletal Research in August 1994 and held this title until 2005, when he retired from the University of Vermont Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation as professor emeritus.

Research was a passion and a key driving force behind Bob’s professional career. His investigation of knee biomechanics and injuries paved the way for improved clinical outcomes, and in that capacity he was an ambassador for the scientific approach to advancing sports medicine. His life’s work led him to publish hundreds of articles, papers, abstracts and book chapters. He also received significant research funding from multiple sources, including the National Institutes of Health.

Throughout his career, a primary focus of Bob’s research was the field of ski safety. After seeing patients and performing surgery on weekdays in Burlington, Vt., his winter weekends were spent 45 minutes away at Sugarbush Ski Area, where he conducted a groundbreaking 49-year study on the cause and analysis of ski injuries. Bob ran the medical clinic while a team of engineers assessed patients’ ski equipment. Research findings from this collaboration led ski and binding manufacturers to improve their designs and changed standard practices in how ski shop technicians set and inspect equipment to prevent injuries.

Bob’s focus on scientific study also led to his involvement with numerous organizations in which he enjoyed the camaraderie of like-minded professionals and true friends. He was a founding member of the Herodicus Society, a premier forum for sports medicine research exchange. In 1987 he served as that organization’s president. In the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), he was president from 1993 to 1994 and was honored to serve as Godfather for the Traveling Fellows in 1996 and to be chosen as Mr. Sports Medicine in 2002. A highlight of his career was receiving an AAOS Kappa Delta Award in 1994 for outstanding, high-impact research. The International Society of Ski Safety was another of Bob’s professional organizations. He was not only a founding member but also served as president from 1989 to 1997. He became an honorary lifetime member in 2005.

While focused on a robust professional career, Bob cultivated friendships and professional relationships that were meaningful. Letters received upon his 2005 retirement as a surgeon underscored the impact he had on the early careers of a vast array of professionals treating patients with orthopaedic-related injuries. It is no wonder; teaching was a passion. In these same letters, colleagues described him as honest, humble, hardworking and possessing a strong sense of scientific integrity. He also truly cared about others and found fun amid hard work, which led not only to long-term professional partnerships but also to lifelong friendships the world over.

Bob’s favorite things in life extended beyond his role as an orthopaedic surgeon and researcher. He could often be found at his wood pile, using an ax and wedge to split wood that he then meticulously stacked for use in his family’s woodstove. He cherished his collection of Native American artifacts and loved astronomy. He was a huge fan of college football, especially his beloved Iowa Hawkeyes. In recent years, with the rise of Caitlin Clark, he also enthusiastically followed Iowa women’s basketball. Bob loved to travel for research presentations but also for leisure. With his wife, Shirley, he went on birding trips to the far corners of the world, including Papua New Guinea, South Africa and the Galapagos Islands.

Most importantly, Bob was a loving, fun and present husband and father. He was married to Shirley (Siefken) for 62 years and was a proud dad to daughters Jennifer Muse (Jay) of Pittsburgh and Tamara Wehrman (Jed) of Lyman, Maine. In addition to these immediate family members, he is survived by his five grandchildren, Anna, Henry, and Thomas Muse; and Elsie and George Wehrman. Other family members include Burak Buyukfirat, his Turkish adoptive son through the American Field Service exchange program, as well as his brother, Bill Johnson (Jan) of Altus, Okla.

A celebration of Bob’s life is planned for a future date. In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully acknowledges donations given in his memory. These gifts will be used to support Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Research, a program Bob started in 1971, within the Department of Orthopaedics at the Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont. Donations can be made in the name of Dr. Robert J. Johnson and sent to the UVM Foundation, 411 Main St., Burlington, VT 05401.