Obituary: John Charles Pomeroy

Obituary: John Charles Pomeroy

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John Charles Pomeroy

Prepared by Zara Miller

Dr. John Charles Pomeroy, a pioneering child psychiatrist, husband, father and grandfather, died with family at his bedside on Jan. 12 following complications from Parkinson’s Disease. He was 74. 

Born in London on March 24, 1950, Pomeroy was raised in the suburbs of England and the United Kingdom’s capital city, where his mother’s emphasis on education shaped his future. He graduated from St. Mary’s Medical School at the University of London in 1973 and began his medical career as a junior doctor in Gibraltar and London. His early work sparked an interest in psychiatry, particularly child psychiatry, which was still an emerging field at the time. This led him to the University of Iowa and later Cornell University, before he moved to Stony Brook University in the 1980s, as the first child psychiatrist for the hospital.  

As one of the founding members of Stony Brook’s Child Psychiatry Department, Pomeroy made groundbreaking contributions to autism research, notably including seminal studies on Asperger’s Syndrome and became Director of Outpatient Clinic in the Division of Child and Adolescent psychiatry. He was the driving force behind the creation of the Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, which opened in 2001 with a donation by Matt and Debra Cody. Under his leadership, the center became a resource for families and children on the autism spectrum and has since become a part of the Department of Pediatrics at Stony Brook Long Island Children’s Hospital.

Pomeroy authored more than 70 articles, abstracts, and book chapters on autism and was an associate professor in his field. He received numerous awards and recognitions for his contributions to the field. His career was marked by dedication to improving the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health conditions as well as helping their families.

Outside of his professional work, Pomeroy was a lover of music, travel, sports and the arts. He enjoyed everything from opera and ballet to scuba diving to playing tennis and hiking. An avid reader, especially of non-fiction, he was also a fan of soccer, particularly Chelsea FC in England. He loved to travel and immerse himself in other cultures. Pomeroy was known to friends and associates for his dry wit, intelligence and disarmingly humble presence.

Pomeroy is survived by his wife, Julia; children, Zara and Jonathan; son-in-law, John; and grandchildren, Sienna and Isla. He is also survived by his sister, Jackie.

A memorial service will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25 at Bryant Funeral Home in Setauket. Friends and colleagues are invited to speak at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI) or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. 

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