Dr. Walter Peters

Wally Peters, as you may have known him, has touched the lives of many of us and left an enduring legacy as a colleague, an educator, a surgeon-scientist researcher, a mentor and advocate, a medical expert, and a deeply valued and generous supporter of our University of Toronto Plastic Surgery community.

This is all in addition to having been a skilled surgeon caring for over 2,000 patients with major burns in a Team approach.  Developing the standard of burn care with this team approach was natural for Wally, as he always had a way of making people feel important and that their input was valued.  This generosity of time and engagement made him a sought-after mentor to many students and residents who continued in our program and became Faculty. 

Many of you will also recall his tremendous role in the University of Toronto Aesthetic Symposium, which he chaired for 21 years, starting in 1985, concurrent with his roles as the Chief of Plastic Surgery and Director of the Adult Regional Burn Centre at the old Wellesley Hospital.  He subsequently transitioned fully into Aesthetic Surgery.  Together, his clinical acumen and penchant for research segued into his expert role in the history and science of breast implants, both with Health Canada and the FDA.

His philanthropy to our Division was incredible and continues in his name through the Wally Peters Surgeon Scientist Scholarship which he established upon his retirement in 2020.  In his own career, Wally was awarded the prestigious Lister Prize and realized the value of stimulating research activities for future trainees in plastic surgery.  Dr. Walter Peters furthered this with a major gift earlier this year, to reflect his long-standing dedication to our Division and its trainees to create opportunities, encourage curiosity and drive the pursuit of excellence.

If you want to extend a personal message of sympathy or share your memories or reflections with his wife, Jennifer, please email me directly at Dr. Walter Peters Condolences and Reflections so that I may compile them. Similarly, if you would like personal support, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

As we mourn his loss, we recognize that many members of our community may wish to honour Dr. Peters’ memory and celebrate his enduring commitment to supporting the next generation of leaders in our field. To commemorate his remarkable legacy, a tribute fund has been established in his memory. Through this lasting tribute, Dr. Peters’ commitment to academic excellence, mentorship, and education will continue to inspire future generations of plastic surgeons.

Those who wish to honour Dr. Peters’ memory are invited to visit the tribute page below: University of Toronto .

On behalf of the Division, I extend my deepest condolences to Dr. Peters’ beloved wife, Jennifer, his brother, Colin, and his family, friends, colleagues, former patients and all those whose lives he touched.

Dr. Peters leaves an extraordinary legacy in our division and in the field of plastic surgery. He will be deeply missed and very fondly remembered.

Below is the Obituary that Jennifer Peters shared with me to share with you:

Dr. Walter “Wally” Joseph Peters

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Walter “Wally” Joseph Peters, a distinguished plastic surgeon, scientist, researcher, teacher, mentor, and beloved husband, brother, and friend.

Wally’s remarkable life was shaped by curiosity, perseverance, hard work, and an enduring passion for science and medicine.

Born and raised in British Columbia on his father’s mushroom farm, Wally learned the value of hard work at an early age. From the age of twelve, he worked on the farm after school and on weekends, helping his father and developing the strong work ethic that would remain one of his defining characteristics throughout his life.

At just sixteen years of age, Wally entered the University of British Columbia to study for his Bachelor of Science degree. Through determination and academic excellence, he earned more than 32 scholarships, allowing him to be completely self-sufficient throughout his education. He ultimately completed seventeen years of post-secondary education in Vancouver and Toronto, earning his BSc and PhD from the University of British Columbia in 1968, followed by his MD from the University of Toronto in 1972 and his FRCSC in Plastic Surgery from the University of Toronto in 1977.

Throughout his academic journey, Wally was fortunate to have exceptional mentors who encouraged and inspired him. While conducting research into the purification of an enzyme under Professor J.J.R. Campbell, Wally was thrilled by the opportunity to investigate a study that had never previously been undertaken. His work was ultimately published in the respected scientific reference Methods in Enzymology, an accomplishment that reinforced his lifelong enthusiasm for discovery and research.

During his PhD studies, Wally met Professor Tony Warren, a microbiologist at UBC. Tony became an important and stimulating mentor whose enthusiasm and love of science had a profound influence on Wally and remained with him throughout his career.

At the age of twenty-three, Wally moved to Toronto to pursue his medical degree at the University of Toronto. During this period, he was cross-appointed to the Department of Biochemistry as a Lecturer. He also conducted extensive research with Dr. Robert Jackson at the Banting Institute and Dr. Dennis Smith at the Biomaterials Institute at the University of Toronto. Both became influential mentors and colleagues for more than three decades.

Following his internship at Toronto General Hospital in 1973, Wally began his training in Plastic Surgery at the University of Toronto. While working with Dr. D.C. Robertson, he developed a particular interest in patients with major burns. After completing his FRCSC, he was awarded a prestigious McLaughlin Fellowship, allowing him to undertake post-doctoral training in Boston at the Shriners Burn Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Wally joined the Division of Plastic Surgery at Toronto General Hospital, where one of his principal goals was the development of the hospital’s Burn Unit. From 1976 to 1984, the Toronto General Hospital Burn Initiative experienced tremendous growth, and Wally completed important research into infection, the energy requirements of burn patients, and artificial skin.

For twenty years, Wally served as Director of the Burn Unit, combining his clinical expertise with his passion for research and innovation.

From 1990 to 2000, he was also Co-Director of the Plastic Surgery Linkage Project between the University of Toronto and the Gansu People’s Hospital in Lanzhou, China, reflecting his commitment to international collaboration, education, and the sharing of medical knowledge.

When the Wellesley Hospital closed, Wally entered private practice and established his own surgical centre, the Rosedale Centre for Plastic Surgery. He continued his association with the University of Toronto and pursued extensive research, including studies examining the response of the female body to breast implants.

Throughout his career, Wally was awarded more than five million dollars in research grants, published more than 160 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, authored a book on breast implants, and delivered more than 200 presentations to learned societies and scientific symposia.

From 1999 to 2005, Wally played a major role in extensive breast implant litigation proceedings in the United States, serving as a consultant and expert witness for six major North American corporations. His depth of knowledge and decades of research experience made his expertise highly respected internationally.

Among his many professional honours was the Lister Prize, the highest honour bestowed by the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto for long-term research at the international level.

Wally retired from clinical plastic surgery at the age of seventy-five but continued to contribute his knowledge and experience through medical-legal consultations into his eighty-second year.

For all of Wally’s professional accomplishments, however, his greatest source of happiness was his life with his beloved wife, Jennifer.

Wally and Jennifer married in 1979. Jennifer was an emergency room nurse, and the two shared a deep understanding of and commitment to caring for others.

Wally always said that once he met Jennifer, his life was complete.

Together, Wally and Jennifer loved spending their downtime at their 100-acre farm in Creemore, a place where they could escape the demands of their busy professional lives and simply enjoy being together. Over the years, their farm was also home to a succession of nine German Shepherds, who became an important and much-loved part of their lives.

Those quiet years on the farm, surrounded by nature, dogs, and the people they loved, provided Wally with some of his happiest memories.

Wally is survived by his beloved wife, Jennifer, and his brother, Colin. He will also be dearly missed by Jennifer’s family and Ana, as well as by his many friends, colleagues, former patients, and all those whose lives he touched.

Wally will be remembered not only for his extraordinary intellect and professional accomplishments, but for his determination, curiosity, humour, kindness, and devotion to those he loved. His journey from a young boy working on his father’s mushroom farm in British Columbia to an internationally recognized plastic surgeon and researcher was truly remarkable.

But perhaps the simplest description of Wally is the most meaningful: he loved science, he loved helping people, and he loved Jennifer.

His legacy lives on through the people he inspired, the knowledge he contributed to medicine, and the many lives he touched throughout his remarkable journey.

Wally will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

Cremation has taken place. A private interment will be held at a later date.

Sincerely,

Joan E. Lipa, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS
Professor and Chair
Division of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
Department of Surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine
University of Toronto