Dr. Henrietta Leonard,an internationally esteemed researcher in child psychiatry and beloved wife of Dr. Kenneth Rickler and mother of Alexander and Nathaniel, died peacefully in the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 15, 2007 surrounded by loving family and friends. Dr. Leonard’s death at age53 followed a 41/2 year battle with ovarian cancer. To the end, she remained grateful for the many blessings she had received in her life.
Henrietta’s chief interest was her family. She was a devoted wife to her husband, Kenneth Rickler, and a proud and loving mother to her 16-year old twin sons, Alexander and Nathaniel. She had a warm and loving relationship with her father Louis F. Leonard of West Hartford CT, brother Edward Leonard also of West Hartford, sisters Ann Leonard of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Susan Leonard Sullivan of Lovettsville Virginia, and sister-in-law Phyllis Alexander, their spouses and her nine nephews and nieces. Henrietta was predeceased by an infant brother, George, and her mother, Elizabeth, who died in 2003 of ovarian cancer.
Henrietta was born in Hartford, Connecticuton January 6, 1954 and was raised in West Hartford. She attended the University of Connecticut, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a Masters degree in biobehavioral science, and then studied medicine at George Washington University (GWU) School of Medicine in WashingtonD.C. After receiving her medical degree in 1982, Henrietta remained at GWU to complete residency training in general psychiatry and fellowship training in Child Psychiatry. During that time she met her husband, Kenneth, and they were married in 1989.
After completing her child psychiatry fellowship, Henrietta was awarded a National Research Service Corps fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health and began a research career focused on investigating the cause and treatment of childhood mental illnesses, particularly pediatric anxiety disorders. Author of over 100 professional papers, Henrietta was recognized internationally for her contributions to the field of child psychiatry, including the discovery with her NIMH colleagues of a unique form of childhood-onset obsessive compulsive disorder in which symptoms are triggered by streptococcal infections. In recognition of her many accomplishments, Henrietta was awarded a tenure-track position at the NIMH in 1994.
In 1995, Henrietta and her family relocated to ProvidenceRI,where she was named a Professor of Psychiatry and Human Development at Brown University School of Medicine. Henrietta continued her research effortsthere, receiving more than a dozen grants for investigations of obsessive compulsive disorder, selective mutism, and other childhood psychiatric disorders. She also was awarded two U.S. patents and several local and national research prizes, including the “Young Investigator Award” from the AmericanAcademy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). Henrietta was a dedicated member of the Academy for more than 20 years and was elected an Academy fellow in 2007.
Henrietta’s contributions to the field of child psychiatry extended far beyond her own research, as she was deeply committed to the ethical conduct of pediatric research and served on numerous national committees convened to ensure that the best interests of the children were met. Henrietta donated much of her time to local and national scientific review committees and editorial boards, and served as Editor-in-chief of the Child Psychopharmacology Update. In addition, Henrietta edited two volumes of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, and co-authored two trade books: “It’s Not All In Your Head” and “Is It ‘Just a Phase’?”
Henrietta was Director of Brown’s child psychiatry fellowship training program and the triple-board residency program in psychiatry-pediatrics-child psychiatry. In that role, she mentored scores of post-doctoral psychologists, medical students, residents and fellows; and trained more than 100 child psychiatrists. She was greatly loved and respected by her trainees who nominated her for numerous mentorship awards; as well as by her peers who selected her as the department’s “Mentor of the Year” for 2006-2007. Among many other honors, Henrietta was recognized by the AACAP for her “Outstanding Leadership and Contributions to the Triple-Board Training Programs”. In addition, the Rhode Island chapter of AACAP recently established an annual training award to honor Henrietta’s legacy as an outstanding teacher and mentor.
Henrietta was a passionate family genealogist who was able to trace an ever -expanding tree of family members back more than twelve generations. She had an abiding love for Chebeague Island, Maine, her father’s childhood home, and visited there every summer of her life. It is fitting that Henrietta was able to return there for her final days. The funeral will be held 1pm Saturday, August 18, 2007 at the ChebeagueUnitedMethodistChurch on Chebeague Island, Maine, where she will be buried. A memorial service will be held 1pm Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at Temple Beth El, 70 Orchard Avenue, Providence, RI. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the ChebeagueIslandRecreationCenter, 382 North Road, Chebeague Island, ME 04017or the GilletteCenterfor Gynecologic Oncology (care of Dr. Richard Penson), 55 Fruit St, YawkeyCenter, Boston, Mass.02114.
Henrietta Leonard will be missed by so many as a clinician, researcher, educator, mentor, and friend; and above all, as a daughter, sister, wife and mother.