I met Dr. Cohen 5 years ago when he started working with my son at the Down's institute.  I just heard about his passing today while at a doctors appointment for my son.  I am so upset.  I loved this man.  For the first time I felt like I met someone that would truly listen to all the problems that Nick had and genuinely cared and tried to help us.  I always told other parents to go to the down's clinic and ask for Dr. Cohen because I thought he was great.  He will really be missed by me and my family.

Bill was passionate about making a difference in children's lives. He contributed the chapter on Down Syndrome for the last 3 editions of my book, Current Management in Child Neurology, including the 2009 edition. Bill was widely regarded as the nation's expert on the topic and he will be missed by all of us in the child neurology community. He enjoyed the freedom of rollerblading and helping children free themselves of the burden of developmental disabilities.

Thank you Bill.

All I can say is that I regret never meeting Dr. Cohen personally. We have clearly lost a man who has helped many families. I hope younger members like myself, who just finished training, will be able to continue learning from the legacy he left.

Bill was a true gentleman in the field of developmental and behavioral pediatrics.  My last conversation with him after the presidential address in Cincinnati was far too short--something that I will always regret.  Bill's passing is a loss for our organization and for all of pediatrics.

Bill never knew until years later that he started my interest in self-hypnosis.  It had to have been in 2004 when Bill was teaching a girl who likely had Asperger's how to deal better with blood glucose testing.  Bill told me about how he used the pain dial/pain switch with this little girl, and I took off from there.  I was so saddened by his death, within a day of my mother's death, it hit especially hard.  However, Bill's amazing ways of working with children--I will never forget his wisdom, wit or love for what he did.  It was a gift to work with him and I will miss him greatly.

-Emilie, Pittsburgh, PA

I took this picture of Bill during the first DBPrep Course in 2002.  He was a leader, a friend, a role model and he will be missed. 

Daniel B. Kessler MD

Phoenix, AZ

I met Bill through SDBP, initially as a scared attendee at the "wine and cheese" reception at which his openness and warmth helped me feel like it was okay to be there, and later through several pre-meeting workshops on communication and famiy systems usually done with Lane Tanner.  These workshops and the personal interactions of Bill and Lane helped me find my professional voice and probably unknown to them at the time, my personal voice as well.  Bill continued to play a large supportive role in my personal development for several years to come as well.  When I first met him at the reception, I had generically asked about family.  He commented that he had come to the meeting alone; that his partner had wanted to come but had that he had to work that week-end.  For the wonderfully inclusive membership of SDBP this comment is taken in stride.  But to a religiously guilt-ridden, closeted gay man with a wife and children, this triggered fireworks of hope and excitement.  A number of years later when I first had the courage, I spoke with Bill about me being gay.  He was so respectful of my journey, helpful in clarifying priorities, and such a healer through his compassion and care.  Over the next decade, I continued to grow professionally and personally with Bill as a supportive mentor and friend.  A high point was when I was able to bring Bill to the University of South Alabama to facilitate communication workshops with our pediatric residents, sharing with them some of what has inpsired me.  But also, having Bill join Robert, my partner, and I in our home.  As I listen to others' stories about Bill over the years, his ability to touch lives at multiple levels seems to be a theme.  What an awesome gift.  I am thankful to have been one of many to benefit from his sharing of that gift.  I will miss him greatly as my professional and personal journeys continue.  I will continue to celebrate the specialness of Bill as these journeys continue and celebrate how much better the journeys are because of the benefits of Bill's gifts living on through so many people.

I met Bill at a SDBP meeting when he approached me and told me that he had been one of my students during residency.  In his generous way he suggested how much he had learned from me.   Several years later I would tell him how much more I'd learned from him.  I took the course that he and Lane Tanner gave on three different occasions.  At the third one he asked why I was there and I replied that I needed boosters of his wisdom.  I could have added his warmth and demonstrations of how to listen and learn from our patients.

I will miss Bill's warm hugs of greeting at the meetings, and his annual recommendations of books to read.  He was never wrong in his choices.

When the Pittsburgh program joined the MCHB fellowships it was almost as if all of us were joining him-Bill was so welcoming and open and friendly...and smart! His insight was keen, his compassion was apparent and as a faculty member he humbled and taught me what it truly meant to be a teacher. He is already missed.

I FIRST MET BILL COHEN WHEN HE GAVE A WORKSHOP ON FAMILY SYSTEMS AND  FAMILY INTERVIEWING. I WAS ENTHRALLED  AND CAPTIVATED BY THE MAN AND THE TOPIC, AS WERE MANY OTHERS AS IT WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY. A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER I EDITED A VOLUME OF "PEDIATRIC CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA" (1995)AND BILL CONTRIBUTED A CHAPTER "FAMILY-ORIENTED PEDIATRIC CARE:TAKING THE NEXT STEP." AND THAT WAS  BILL: BOLD, INNOVATIVE, VISIONARY, INSIGHTFUL, WARM (REMEMBER THAT SMILE AND THOSE HUGS !), GENUINE, COMPASSIONATE AND ALWAYS BOTH CHILD AND FAMILY-CENTERED IN PERSONAL AND PROFEESIONAL LIFE. BILL'S MIDDLE NAME  IRA  MEANS 'WISE ONE'AND THAT HE WAS.HE (AND LANE TANNER  WAS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR INTODUCING FAMILY CENTERED APPROACHES TO MAINSTREAM PEDIATRICS

AND HE WAS FUNNY AND FUN. HE AND I, YEARS AGO,GAVE A WORKSHOP AT THE AAP-NCE ON THE LAST DAY. DURING THE  TALK, AUDIENCE MEMBERS WOULD POLITELY, ALMOST APOLOGETICALLY, LEAVE WITH SUITCASES IN TOW HEADING FOR THE  AIRPORT, UNTIL ONLY 5 REMAINED AT  THE END(OUT OF 70 ORIGINALLY). IT WAS A BIT DISHEARTENING.
 BILL LOOKED AT ME WITH THAT BIG, RADIANT SMILE AND SAID,"OH WELL, IT WAS THEIR LOSS. LET'S GO HAVE A DRINK."

ON ANOTHER OCCASION, I ATTENDED BILL'S WORKSHOP ON "COMMUNICATION." HE SAW ME AND SAID OUT LOUD, "BILL, WHY ARE YOU HERE? YOU COULD BE GIVING THIS WORKSHOP." I RESPONED, "BILL, IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO LISTEN TO YOU AND I ALWAYS LEARN SO MUCH." HE SMILED AND SAID  WITH HUMILITY, "THANK  YOU AND WELCOME."
WE ARE ALL BETTER, FORTUNATE AND BLESSED BECAUSE OF HIS PRESENCE AND HIS TOUCH  OF WARMTH  AND WISDOM IN OUR LIVES. BILL, THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU. WE LOVE YOU AND WILL MISS YOU DEEPLY.

Bill was a developmental-behavioral pediatrician before I met him, but I was his route back into academia.  I was searching for a pemanent director of the new Down syndrome Center in Pittsburgh, and realized late in the search that he might be interested.  The famous job interview occurred at my house, with the piano turner plunking in the background and the babysitter, her son, and my kids yapping in the middle ground.  I knew Bill was a great family therapist, but I just wasn't sure about his developmental skills.  At my prodding, he estimated the age of the 13-month old to the month!  I knew I had my man.  When I introduced him to the Down syndrome Group, the families whose energies launched the center, it was love at first sight.

Bill took the Down syndrome Center to heights I had not imagined.  It was a combination of his incredible intelligence, warmth, and compassion that created the magic.  And, of course, the incredible contributions of Nancy M and then Sheila C.  Bill stepped up nationally to bring together the best of research and clinical knowledge to help fashion guidelines and approaches of international significance.  The children and adults with Down syndrome and their families from Western PA and the entire community of physicians, nurses, philanthropists, and others who serve this population world wide have lost a great friend.

So have so many.

That's all I can say right now.  I am too sad to go on, heidi

I agree with Frances.  I also always will remember his sense of humor and somehow feel that he was happy to go while in-line skating rather than with any kind of illness or chronic decline of age.  He was a man who enjoyed life. It is just too bad it had to be while he still had so much to share with the world

I so admired Bill! He was calm, wise, graceful and expemplified the best of ways we should be to each other.

Frances

2/9/09

Dear SDBP Members,

It is with much sadness that we inform you that our dear friend and SDBP member, Bill Cohen, MD, died suddenly Friday morning.  SDBP has set up a portion of our website for people to leave comments and upload photos: http://www.sdbp.org/Cohen.cfm

“Dr. William I. Cohen (Bill), 62, of Pittsburgh, died of a heart attack on February 6, 2009 while in-line skating with friends in Miami, FL. Dr. Cohen was a Developmental -Behavioral Pediatrician at the Child Development Unit and Director of the Down Syndrome Center, both located at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. He also was a professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he directed two courses for undergraduate medical students.

He is survived by his mother Ethel Cohen of Yorktown Heights, NY, brother Alan Cohen of Hoboken, NJ, daughter Sarah Cohen of Los Angeles, CA, son and daughter- in-law Benjamin and Raquel Cohen of Washington D.C. and his partner Donald Arnheim of Pittsburgh. Dr. Cohen's funeral will be at 3pm Tuesday, February 10, 2009 in the Sanctuary of Rodef Shalom Temple, 4905 Fifth Ave., Oakland, followed by a graveside service for family and friends at West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. The family will be receiving in the Aaron Courtyard of Rodef Shalom Temple beginning at 1:30pm. An additional memorial service will be held on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at Temple Israel, Northern Westchester, New York at noon. Memorial contributions may be made in his name to the National Down Syndrome Society, New York (ndss.org), the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation (dsrtf.org) or Down Syndrome Association of Pittsburgh (dsapgh.org). Countless people around the world will miss his generosity of spirit, unwavering support, unconditional love and endless lust for life.”  To read the full obituary that appeared in today’s local Pittsburgh paper visit: http://www.legacy.com/PostGazette/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=123923703 

There will also be an additional memorial service at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh to pay tribute to Bill's many professional and personal contributions. The time for this service will be announced. 

Bill's professional accomplishments tell only part of the picture.  He was a modern day Renaissance Man.  He sang in the Gay Men's choir of Pittsburgh, whose Christmas concert is worth a trip to the 'burgh.  He was an avid roller blader, dominating the hills of Pittsburgh on Friday nights and taking off to Florida and Barcelona to enjoy national and international events.  For those of you who know Pittsburgh, it is not flat and in-line skating in Pittsburgh is not for the faint at heart. He loved to in-line skate with his friends; his passing occurred while he was pursuing his passion.  He knew the reviews of just about every play on Broadway, whenever you asked him what you should see while in New York.  He had mastered the best of Weight Watcher's recipes.  We were all particularly fond of the pumpkin mousse at Thanksgiving.  And then, he was an extraordinary friend.  He remembered the details of your life, and of the lives of your loved ones.  He was a terrific listener and a judicious advice giver.  It is amazing to count how many folks considered him a close friend. 

Robin L. Hansen, MD

SDBP President