It is with great sadness that the Child Neurology Society, along with Roger J. Packer MD and colleagues from Children’s National in Washington, DC, announce that Dr. Samuel Shelburne passed away from complications of a stroke last Thursday. Dr. Shelburne was a consummate physician and educator who led the Division of Child Neurology at Children’s National from 1978 to 1990, greatly expanding its expertise and mentoring many young child neurologists who went on to independent careers in the field.
After stepping down as chief, he remained on staff for 15 years, caring for countless patients and educating colleagues, fellows, pediatricians and nurses in the nuances of child neurology. Many of us were recipients of his wise counsel and he worked hard to assist Dr. Packer at a time of transition in the Children’s National program. His generous donations of his own historic medicine library have graced the shelves of many faculty from the program as well as the departmental library. One of the founding fathers of the field , he was one of those rare triple threats who excelled in clinical research, patient care, and education. He will be fondly remembered by those who worked with him as a compassionate care giver and a remarkably kind and generous man. After retirement from active staff in 2015, he continued and expanded his work in the history of medicine, especially child neurology.
Phillip L. Pearl, MD
President, CNS
Posted January 11, 2021