BEITCHMAN, JOSEPH HENRY, MD, FRCPC, passed away peacefully on May 25, 2021 at the age of 78 at home surrounded by his loved ones. Devoted husband of 52 years to Soryl (Mendelson), most beloved father to Daniel (Marilou), Jason (Jessica) and amazing Zaida to Nathan, Benjamin, and Sadie. Cherished brother and brother-in-law to Paula and Harvey Akman, Harvey Beitchman and Carol Jacobson and Lee and Charon Mendelson. Sadly missed by nieces, nephews, extended family and his many friends and colleagues. Joe had a long and distinguished career in child psychiatry beginning as the Director of a preschool and kindergarten program at the Royal Ottawa Hospital in 1977. Starting in 1985 and for the next 27 years, Joe held various roles as Head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Clarke Institute for Psychiatry and later the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. From 1998 to 2004, Joe served as the inaugural Psychiatrist-in-Chief at the Hospital for Sick Children and from 1999 to 2009 held the TD Bank Financial Group Chair in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Joe was internationally renowned for his research in speech and language disorders in children and youth. As a professor at the University of Toronto, Joe was a beloved mentor for generations of medical students. For his entire career, he was a caring and compassionate doctor that helped thousands of children. Throughout his life, he shared kindness and a smile with everyone he met. Joe Beitchman was one of a kind and will be dearly missed. If desired, donations in Joe’s memory may be made to the CAMH Foundation https://www.camh.ca/

 

The family will receive condolence calls at 416-278-6893.