Remembering Peter: As He Faced Cancer, He Learned How Much He Was Loved

For Peter Jennings, ABC’s Dr. Timothy Johnson was a “shoulder to lean on” in recent months. On Monday’s Good Morning America, Johnson called it a “remarkable privilege:”

“I was struck constantly [by his] unbelievable courage and his surprising sweetness. It’s a word we didn’t use in everyday work with Peter. But he was so aware of the people around him, solicitous of their needs, thanking them for their care,” the medical correspondent said.

Charles Gibson commented on the boxes and boxes of mail that sat outside Jennings’ office, week after week, from supportive viewers.

“He knew that he was well-known obviously,” Johnson said. “But he really — I don’t think [he] believed how much he was loved until this happened. And it did overwhelm him. He learned something new about his relationship with the public.”