Posted on April 13: Noted child psychiatrist, “Dr. Dan”, dies at age 70

Dan Offord, director of the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University and director of Christie Lake Camp, has died at age 70.

Offord, who became a member of the Order of Canada in 2001 for his work to help better the lives of children around the world, died Saturday.

For the last 20 years, Offord led a team of scientists, clinicians, and staff at the Offord Centre (formerly the Canadian Centre for Studies of Children at Risk) dedicated to finding solutions to the emotional, social, and cognitive problems faced by disadvantaged children.

“Dan Offord devoted his life to understanding the factors that make children vulnerable and that put them at risk of a poorer quality of life,” said Peter Szatmari, acting director of the centre. “He thought deeply about the interventions that communities need to put in place to reduce the burden of suffering associated with psychosocial disadvantage and with emotional and behavioural problems in children and youth.”

Jean Pigott, founding chair of the Offord Centre, said: “Dr. Dan was a giant of a man who understood that our future lies in the hands of our children – the leaders of tomorrow.”

For 47 years, “Dr. Dan” was also the director of Christie Lake Camp near Perth, Ontario, where close to 400 disadvantaged boys and girls enjoyed a camp experience each summer.

Szatmari said Offord was widely recognized for his world-class research achievements, his leadership in the field of child psychiatric epidemiology, his educational contribution to generations of medical students, physicians, and other health care professionals and his devotion to the cause of disadvantaged children is unsurpassed.

Peter George, president and vice-chancellor of McMaster University, said Offord was an outstanding child psychiatrist.

“Dan Offord's contributions to childhood mental health touched many lives, from the children with emotional and behavioural problems affected by his clinical work to his colleagues and students who revered him as mentor and friend,” he said. “His legacy at McMaster will live on in the Offord Centre for Child Studies.”

John Kelton, dean and vice-president, health sciences, said: “Dr. Offord was an unassuming man, but he had international stature.

“His love of children, especially troubled children, translated into a career that has benefited thousands of children not just here, but around the world. He was dearly loved by his patients and his co-workers. He was a man of great gentleness and kindness.

“I'm glad we have the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University as his legacy.”

Offord was a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University since 1978. He received his MD in 1957 from Queen's University and his fellowship in psychiatry in 1965.

He previously held a National Health Scientist award from Health and Welfare Canada, and was an Atkinson Fellow at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. He was the recipient of many awards from the American Public Health Association, the Psychology Foundation of Canada, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Orthopsychiatric Association, and the Canadian Paediatric Society.

Offord was the recipient of the Golden Jubilee Medal and was recently recognized by the Ontario Legislative Assembly. He chaired many national and international committees including the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, the Institute of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Premier's Council on Health, Well-being, and Social Justice.

He was the author of more than 200 peer-reviewed publications on children's mental health, disadvantaged children, mental health policy for children, antisocial behaviour, child psychiatric epidemiology, community programs for children, and the Early Years.

Dan Offord leaves behind his wife Margaret, his children Karen (Dave), Michael, Jennifer (Kennedy) and Stephen (Jessica), his stepchildren Caroline and Janeen Parkin and his cousin Kathleen Rockburn. He was truly a great Canadian and will be sorely missed by his family, his colleagues and by children throughout the world.