NJPRA Mourns the Passing of Dr. Bill Anthony
Dr. Bill Anthony, Founder of the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, passed away after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis on July 15, 2020, at the age of 77.
Bill was a pioneer in the field of Mental Illness. In 1979 he established the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University and served as the Executive Director until his retirement in 2011. He received the Distinguished Service Award in 1992 from The President of the United States for his efforts “in promoting the dignity, equality, independence, and employment of people with disabilities”. Dr. Bill Anthony’s impact on the field of psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery is immeasurable. He led with his heart and advocated the notion that people with psychiatric conditions are people first. Over his 40-year career as a psychologist, he was a major contributor to the field of psychiatric rehabilitation and the emergence of recovery as a vision for people with psychiatric conditions. Bill’s inspirational leadership guided the field through paradigm shifts to ensure the possibility of recovery and regaining valued roles for individuals living with psychiatric conditions. Dr. Anthony’s legacy in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery is immeasurable.
Bill was happily married for 54 years to his late wife, Camille Anthony, who passed away in 2019. He was a man with many interests. He loved to golf, garden, ski, travel, and write poetry, but of all of his hobbies, his most cherished was spending time with his family and grandkids.
By his friends and family, Bill was also lovingly known as the “Nap Man” for writing multiple “coffee table” books about napping and, most notably, founding National Napping Day – the day after daylight savings time. https://nationaltoday.com/national-napping-day/
Bill had a wonderful life and has left a legacy of genuine goodness, thoughtfulness, and unconditional love that will never be forgotten.
From his colleagues at the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, “Dr. Anthony’s legacy in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery is immeasurable. We are grateful for his work and mourn his passing. May his memory be a blessing.”
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Our members are primarily professionals who work in more than 50 mental health agencies and organizations throughout New Jersey, but also includes students and persons with the lived experience of mental illness and their families.
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