Joseph Biederman Obituary, Death – With great grief and a heavy heart, that Dr. Joseph Biederman died away yesterday. Joe is one of the world’s most renowned child psychiatrists, a practically unequaled leader in the ADHD area, and the founder of our organization, a wonderful friend to many of us, and a beacon of hope to those outside his own orbit. He was a true titan in our industry, with a great mind and a captivating demeanor. He influenced the trajectory of pediatric psychopharmacology as one of the world’s most quoted child and adolescent psychiatrists. More importantly, he was a terrific teacher and mentor, a world-class clinician, a relentless champion of issues he believed in, and a tremendous friend to us, his colleagues.
Joe’s vision resulted in the formation of APSARD. He secured the funds for the original board of directors, and his efforts resulted in the formation of an American speciality society specialized to ADHD and related illnesses. He adored APSARD and what it stood for. He envisioned it becoming the preeminent ADHD professional association that it has become, and he was overjoyed to see it happen. Although we mourn his passing, we are happy to have been blessed by his wisdom, vision, and personal generosity. It is so easy to say that someone will be missed when they are no longer with us, but such words fall short of capturing the tremendous sense of loss that many of us will feel upon learning of Joe’s death.
We had picked Joe Biederman to receive the APSARD Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023 long before he died. We regret that Joe will not be there to receive this well-deserved APSARD award at the annual meeting. We will proceed with the award ceremony and use this occasion to recognize and appreciate Joe’s accomplishments. Much more could be said, and hopefully much of it will be spoken during the annual gathering. Several of Joe’s close friends and colleagues will speak about his work, the impact he had on our field, and the personal impact Joe’s work had on them. There will also be plenty of time for APSARD members to participate in this memorial homage to Joe, his work, and his life. So, please come prepared with your memories and experiences and join us in honoring the life and professional accomplishments of a genuinely extraordinary individual whom we are pleased to call our leader and friend.