Jureta Whitfill Horton left this earth on August 20, 2007, she is survived by her loving husband Kenneth Horton of Frisco, Texas, daughter Kimberley Stephens of The Colony and her husband John, son Gregory Horton and his wife Melodie of The Colony, Texas, mother Frances Whitfill of Ennis, Texas and aunt Adell Debray of Moline, III, two grandchildren, Christina and Austin Horton from The Colony, Texas nephew Eric Walker, and many, many others who loved and cared for her. Jureta Whitfill was born on February 11, 1941 in Ennis, Texas to proud parents Linton and Frances Whitfill. She grew up on a small farm near Alma, Texas with a younger sister Mell Whitfill, and graduated from St Johns Catholic School in Ennis as valedictorian of her class. Jureta attended Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with majors in Chemistry and Biology in August of 1962. Shortly afterwards she married Kenneth Horton and accepted a Medical Research position at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. In 1981 she received her PhD and was promoted to the faculty at UTSWMS. For over 30 years, Dr. Jureta Horton was a research scientist with a particular interest in the area of burn research. She was Professor of Surgery and Director of the Burn Research Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center. During those years, she was a direct scientific mentor for over 30 young scientists, both MDs and PhDs, but she was also a mentor to many, many other young physicians and scientists not directly involved in her research as well as high school students and science teachers. She felt it was her “duty” to be a mentor and role model to these young people entering the world of science and medicine. She strongly felt a responsibility towards enabling young women entering those fields, keeping in touch with many of them to this day. Her research led to over 200 published articles and more than 270 abstracts presented at national and international meetings. She was an invited guest lecturer at medical schools and universities in the United States and in China and Europe. Her articles are widely referenced in the published works of other scientists. Dr. Horton was a member of grant review committees for the NIH, the VA, several Military groups, the National Academy of Science, and the Shrine Hospitals. She was a member of 7 professional organizations including the American Burn Society, the Surgical Infection Society, and the Shock Society. Dr. Horton received the Educational Scholarship Award from the Society of Critical Care Medicine in 2007 and the Distinguished Service Award in 2006 from the Shock Society. She was the first female president of the Shock Society in 2000-2001. She was on the editorial board of 3 scientific journals and was a reviewer for 7 scientific journals. Dr. Horton was on several committees at UT Southwestern Medical Center as well as on major committees of several professional organizations. Dr. Horton also had teaching responsibilities at UT Southwestern Medical Center that included first year medical students and allied health students, receiving the Outstanding Teacher Award in 1994-1995. She was also an advisor to the Dallas Independent School District Health Science Magnet School. She was often invited to be a judge at many local science fairs. Dr. Horton also took an active part in the STARS program for high school students at UT Southwestern, allowing her laboratories to be a part of the scientific learning process for area schools visiting the medical center to find out first hand what science was all about. Dr. Horton leaves a rich legacy of works in the scientific community, nationally and internationally. This legacy includes her numerous publications and the many, many people she was a mentor and advisor to as well as a personal friend. Her research staff included several people that had been with her for over 15 years. She was a friend to everyone, including her fellow parishioners at St Francis Assisi Catholic Church in Frisco. Dr. Horton was preceded in death by her father Linton Whitfall and sister Mell. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Frances Assisi Catholic Church in Frisco, Texas on Friday, August 24, 2007 at 10:00 AM. Internment will follow at Ridgeview West Memorial Park in Frisco, Texas. Family and friends are invited to the funeral home in Frisco at their convenience on Thursday to pay their respects and to sign the register book. The family will receive friends during a visitation on Thursday evening beginning at 7:00 PM with a Rosary at 7:30 PM.