(The obituary shown below was published in the Biloxi Sun Herald and the Rochester Post Bulletin. The text was adapted from an announcement of the Henry Stonnington Award for Review Articles in the Journal of Brain Injury and was written by Nathan Zasler.)

Dr. Henry Herbert Stonnington died peacefully at home on Sunday, May 31, after fighting a long battle with cancer.

He was a Fellow of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and a Fellow of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. He held numerous academic appointments including serving as Chairman of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Missouri-Columbia. He retired as a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Louisiana State University and Medical Director for Rehabilitation Services and Chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Dr. Stonnington received the Distinguished Physician award from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2002, and is venerated as a visionary leader in the field of Traumatic Brain Injury rehabilitation. He founded both the Journal of Brain Injury and the journal Pediatric Rehabilitation (now known as Developmental Neurorehabilitation). He is also known as one of the primary guiding forces and founders (along with the late Sheldon Berrol, MD) behind the International Association for the Study of Traumatic Brain Injury that eventually merged with the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA).

It was Dr. Stonnington's vision, professional fortitude, and optimism that improvement was possible for his patients that will be most remembered. He was a staunch advocate for his patients, a clinical mentor, husband, father, grandfather, scientist, author and poet. His mantra of "never say never" is a legacy that will be embraced by all those who had the pleasure of knowing him and working with him. He will be missed, but his life-changing work and devotion to his family have etched a powerful and lasting memory of a man who lived a full life that benefited the world around him.

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Tributes from Others

Dr. Stonnington was an insightful mentor and visionary as a Medical Director. My first administrative directorship was with Dr. Stonnington at the Day Program at Sheltering Arms Hospital. He provided unfettered support for progressive and comprehensive ideas, forging new territory for outpatient TBI programming frequently with a humor that encouraged and a wit that was remarkable.  He provided support and mentoring as I applied for a PhD, and optimism in my future as I left Richmond.  I am saddened by his death but I am forever changed by his joy for medicine and commitment to mentoring. He will be deeply missed.

-Ana C Mieres MSPT, PhD

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There is not really an adequate way to pay tribute to this man.  He embraced his profession, his family and his patients and their families with more than medical care.  He treated brain injured patients with dignity and respect and gave the encouragement needed to face what are sometimes insurmountable odds when dealing with TBI.  His first words to my son were “we are going to help you get better.”  And he did just that, not only for my son but for us as a family as well.  I am tremendously proud to have worked with him as an advocate for TBI, and even more proud to have had him as a friend.  We all will miss him.

-Mary Lou Matthews

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The TBI Dream Team in Heaven just keeps growing.... The news of Henry Stonnington's death brought a mixture of profound sadness and gratitude. Henry was Chair of PM&R when I first came to MCV in 1984 and took me "under his wing" in the evolution of the TBI program at MCV. His fatherly guidance, kind demeanor and compassionate patient advocacy established a legacy of clinical, academic and educational pre-eminence at MCV that continues to resonate in the achievements of the scientific basis of neurorehabilitation to this day. 

I recall in the mid-80's when in the old Rehab Unit in South Hospital the first 3 months of "rehab" was spent renourishing the cachetic patients with severe TBI, Henry would patiently conduct bedside rounds and assure family members that recovery was achievable. His amazing capacity to view the cup as "half full" (in spite of overwhelming complications) imparted to those of us under his mentorship a belief in not only the science of medicine, but also its art. His early experiences in general practice and his comforting bedside manner were a model for us all in the means to instill hope, trust and confidence in our patients and their families.

Henry's vision to establish an internationally recognized TBI Center at MCV was fulfilled in his years at the helm of the Department. The first RRTC in Severe TBI, the interdisciplinary program for neuroscience and neurorehabilitation and his unflagging support for the basic science research of Ron Hayes, Ed Dixon and others are but a few of his accomplishments.

He spawned a "family" of TBI clinicians that has spanned generations and continues to carry the field to new frontiers. His loving wife, Constance, and his children were always at the center of his life. He somehow managed to balance his love for his work with the love for his family.  Henry will be deeply missed by me, and yet he has always been present in my interactions with patients, families and others.

May he now find the same peace that he so lovingly attempted to provide to those patients entrusted to his care.

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Dr. Stonnington was one of my primary mentors and imbued within me a philosophical approach that emphasized the importance of maintaining hope. Although many, including me, often felt he was being unrealistic with his prognoses, what I eventually realized was that his optimism fueled not only hope but also motivation, two factors in recovery after brain injury that, although “untested” in the evidence based literature, clearly seem to be critical factors in optimizing recovery and functional outcome. Dr. Stonnington availed much to me in the years that I had the pleasure and honor to work with him, and I will be forever grateful for what I learned and how that knowledge has molded me both as a physician and person.

- Nathan D. Zasler, MD, FAAPM&R, FAADEP, DAAPM, CBIT

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Dr. Stonnington was an amazing man and a talented clinician who taught me a great deal about brain injury,hope, compassion, and the importance of lifelong learning. I will be eternally grateful for his presence in my life and his profound impact on my career.

- Anne McDonnell, MPA, OTR/L, CBIST

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