Jo Sweet Obituary

Dr. Jo Gordon Sweet January 1, 1942- May 11, 2024

Dr. Jo Gordon Sweet was born on January 1, 1942, the first baby born in Nashville, Tennessee that year and the first child born to Fletcher and Hazel Sweet. The family moved to Knoxville, TN where Dr. Sweet grew up and lived most of his life. He graduated in 1959 from Bearden High School in Knoxville where he was president of his senior class, played football, was a member of the National Honor Society, and was a National Merit Semi-Finalist. He was an Eagle Scout who was also inducted into the Order of the Arrow.

Dr. Sweet considered careers in ministry, aviation, or medicine before ultimately pursuing medicine. He attended The University of Tennessee, Knoxville before entering The University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis from which he graduated in 1965 with an M.D. degree. While a student at UT Memphis, he met the love of his life, Doris C. Berry, who was a nursing student at Baptist Hospital. The two were married March 19, 1966.

The Sweets relocated to Knoxville, where Dr. Sweet completed his internship at UT Hospital. After completing the internship, Dr. Sweet fulfilled his military service as a Captain of the Army Medical Corps, serving as an induction station examiner during the Vietnam War. Dr. Sweet received an Army Commendation Medal. After an honorable discharge, he completed a residency in internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Bowman Gray in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Dr. Sweet worked for The University of Tennessee Hospital, then as an internist at The University of Tennessee Student Health Center in Knoxville, later serving as director of the Center before entering private practice. He also served as a fee-based physician for the United States Department of Defense. He was a skilled and caring physician, often asking patients to call him at home to update him on their recovery. He was an excellent diagnostician, making several diagnoses that saved lives.

Dr. Sweet was a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine. He served as President of the East Tennessee Heart Association and of the Knoxville Society of Internal Medicine. The Sweets moved to the Johnson City, Tennessee area to be near their grandchildren. There he served as disability examiner for the Veterans Administration, where on occasion he saw Veterans he had examined years earlier during his military service.

Dr. Sweet had many interests. He was an extra class ham radio operator, an avid trout fisherman, loved amateur photography, aviation, and astronomy, and became fluent in Spanish. He volunteered as a doctor on foreign mission trips to Chile, Cuba, and Mexico. He also volunteered as a translator for an area hospital. He was a longtime member of Central Baptist Church, Bearden, where he was an active deacon and established a Sunday School class and ministry for Spanish-speaking people from many countries. At the time of his passing, he was a member of Marvin's Chapel Methodist Church in Johnson City where he also taught Sunday School.

Dr. Sweet was known for his kindness, caring spirit, and compassion to his family, friends, and patients. He was generous with his time and knowledge. He loved his grandchildren deeply, passing on a love of fly fishing to the boys and astronomy to his granddaughter, as well as his dry sense of humor and competitive spirit playing games with all of them.

He is preceded in death by his parents; an infant sister, Linda Jane; and a nephew, Andrew David Miles. Surviving him are his loving wife, Doris; daughters Suzanne Sweet Cook (Joel) and their children, Samuel, Noah, and Sarah Grace of Johnson City; and Cynthia Sweet (Angela Miller) of Maryville; sisters Nancy Sweet Williams (Bob) of Starkville, Mississippi; and Ann Sweet Miles (George) of Charlotte, North Carolina. Also surviving him are nephews Daniel Miles of Charlotte, and Ben Williams of Cypress, Texas.

The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at Tetrick Funeral Services, Johnson City. The funeral service will follow immediately with Reverend Joel A. Cook officiating. The graveside committal service will be conducted on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 11 am at Mountain Home National Cemetery, 215 Heroes Drive, Mountain Home, TN 37684. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Marvin's Chapel Sunday School Class. The Veterans Honor Guard DAV #39 will accord military honors. Family and friends are requested to meet at the cemetery by 10:50 am Thursday.

The family requests that memorial contributions be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN or www.stjude.org/donate in honor of Noah Cook.

Memories and condolences may be shared at www. tetrickfuneralservices.com. Tetrick Funeral Services, 3001 Peoples Street, Johnson City, TN 37604, is honored to serve the Sweet family. (423) 610-7171