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Category: Wellness

  • Charles P. Baker III, celebrated cofounder of Baker Industries for the ‘least employable,’ has died at 101

    Charles P. Baker III, celebrated cofounder of Baker Industries for the ‘least employable,’ has died at 101

    Charles P. Baker III, 101, formerly of Radnor, celebrated cofounder of Baker Industries, longtime workplace for the “least employable,” former owner of the C.P. Baker & Co. chemical firm, Army veteran, national squash champion, mentor, and volunteer, died Wednesday, Sept. 16, of congestive heart failure at HarborChase assisted living community in Wilmington.

    Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Baker grew up in the old Colonial Hotel at 11th and Spruce Streets in Washington Square West. He and his wife, Louise, founded Baker Industries in 1980, and the workforce development nonprofit has hired, trained, and mentored more than 12,500 workers with physical and intellectual disabilities, substance use disorders, recent periods of incarceration, and housing insecurity who could not find jobs elsewhere.

    Their own son, Justin, lives with epilepsy and, when he could not find suitable employment years ago, Mr. Baker and his wife started their own two-person mail order packaging firm in their Strafford garage. Their son was their first hire.

    “We decided, if we’re going to start something like this, let’s go for the people who need it the most,” Mr. Baker told The Inquirer in 1998, “the ones who are least employable.”

    Mr. Baker and his wife, Louise, stand inside their Baker Industries building in Malvern in 2003. Michael Bryant / Staff Photographer

    For nearly five decades, Baker Industries has contracted light industrial and office work from hundreds of businesses, and operated facilities in Philadelphia, Malvern, and elsewhere. Employees are paid an hourly wage, offered additional training, and encouraged to attend workshops, social events, and support group meetings.

    The company motto is “providing a steppingstone to regular employment,” and many workers have moved on to higher-paying jobs elsewhere. “We have a philosophy of work as rehabilitation,” Mr. Baker told the Daily News in 1988. “The goal is to show these people they can do a whale of a lot more than they think they can do.”

    Baker Industries provides jobs to workers who are often overlooked by other companies

    Mr. Baker served as the unpaid president at Baker Industries until 2002 and then on the board of directors. In the 1950s, he assumed control of his family’s small chemical company, C.P. Baker & Co., and he expanded it before selling it in 1980.

    “Charlie and Weezie Baker believed there is healing in work,” colleagues at Baker Industries said in a Facebook tribute on his 101st birthday in June. “Not just jobs. Work. Showing up. Being part of something. Contributing alongside others.”

    Mr. Baker played many roles at Baker Industries.Baker Industries

    Turk Thacher, vice board chair at Baker Industries, said: “Charlie was beloved. He was kind to everybody.”

    Mr. Baker, his wife, and their company were featured often on TV shows, and in The Inquirer, the Daily News, and other publications. They won many awards for their community service and innovative business model.

    “I was grateful to have their guidance,” Nic Watson, president of Baker Industries, said, “and we will follow their example for years to come.”

    In 1991, the company was named an inspirational Point of Light by President George H.W. Bush. In 2004, Mr. Baker and his wife earned the legacy award for “community generosity” from the Chester County Community Foundation.

    “They went above and beyond their own self-interest,” a foundation official told The Inquirer then.

    This photo and article about Mr. Baker were published in The Inquirer in 1998.Newspapers.com

    Away from work, Mr. Baker was an avid squash player, skier, and sailor. He won the U.S. national hardball singles squash championship six times in the 80-and-older division from 2006 to 2016, skied into his 70s, sailed into his 80s, and played squash and tennis at the Merion Cricket Club until recently.

    He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1946 and served more than seven years in the Army. He was stationed in Europe and rose to captain. His family called him a “relentlessly joyful spirit” in a tribute and said: “The world was a better place for his presence.”

    Charles Pitman Baker III was born June 24, 1925, in Philadelphia. His father, Charles Jr., was manager at the old Colonial Hotel, and Mr. Baker told stories of dropping water balloons on passing pedestrians from windows when he was very young and spending summers at the beach and on boats with the Ocean City Yacht Club.

    He was a star squash player at the Haverford School and known by classmates as “the Arm,” his 1943 senior yearbook said, “because of the vicious way he wields a racket.” His mother died when he was 11.

    This photo and article about Mr. Baker (left) appeared in the Daily News in 1990.Newspapers.,com

    He met Louise Wilhelm while water-skiing in Ocean City, and they married in 1955, and had sons Charles IV and Justin and a daughter, Sandra. His wife died in 2025.

    Mr. Baker and his wife attended Wayne Presbyterian Church, and he was known for his bow ties and wide smiles. He was funny, his daughter said, and liked to sing show tunes anytime anywhere, and write corny poems on birthday cards.

    “He was a wonderful dad who loved his family,” his daughter said. His family said in a tribute: “His legacy of service, humor, and kindness will live on for many generations to come.”

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    His wife told The Inquirer in 2004: “Charlie has a kind heart.”

    Mr. Baker (front left) celebrated his 100st birthday in June 2025 with his family.Courtesy of the family

    In addition to his children, Mr. Baker is survived by four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and other relatives. Two sisters died earlier.

    Visitation with the family is to be from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Wayne Presbyterian Church, 125 E. Lancaster Ave., Wayne, Pa. 19087. A celebration of his life is to follow. Bow ties are optional but encouraged, the family said.

    Donations in his name may be made to Baker Industries, 184 Pennsylvania Ave., Malvern, Pa. 19355.

    His wife told The Inquirer in 2004: “Charlie has a kind heart.”Baker Industries
  • William Johnson Jr., community-minded dentist and lifelong elite runner, has died at 95

    William Johnson Jr., community-minded dentist and lifelong elite runner, has died at 95

    William Johnson Jr., 95, of Philadelphia, a former Army dentist in France who later practiced for more than 40 years in Northwest Philadelphia, and a star distance runner at Norristown Area High School, the Penn Relays, and elsewhere, died Wednesday, Aug. 26, of congestive heart failure at his home near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

    Dr. Johnson grew up in Norristown, was part of his high school’s meet-winning mile and two-mile relay teams, and enlisted in the Army after graduating from New York University in the 1950s. His mother, Mary, wanted him to be a doctor. So, after she died when he was 6, he went on to earn a dental degree at Meharry Medical College in Nashville.

    He spent five years as an Army dentist in France in the 1960s, reveled in the sophisticated social and cultural atmosphere in Paris at the time, and set up his own practice in the 1970s for what he saw were underserved communities around Chew Avenue and Slocum Street. He and his family lived above the first-floor office, and his son, Bill, and daughter, Jacqueline, both worked with him for a time.

    “When we were young, he would tell us to stop running when he had patients,” his daughter said. His son processed X-rays and did other chores in the back room. “On Saturdays,” he said, “the office would be full of people of color. That’s how much he was needed.”

    Dr. Johnson was an Army dentist in France. Courtesy of the family

    Dr. Johnson finally retired in 2014, at 83. Even then, his wife, Liz, said, “his loyal patients were reluctant to see him retire.”

    Away from his patients, Dr. Johnson was a dedicated runner who rarely missed a daily workout. Wednesdays were half days at the office, so he saved his most grueling runs of the week for then.

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    “He wore a ski mask sometimes when it was cold,” his son said, “and when he was done it would be covered with ice.”

    He won mile relay, two-mile relay, and other long distance races in high school in the 1940s, ran for the college team at NYU, and later finished first in masters division races at the Penn Relays. He was a longtime member of the Freedom Striders running club and most often ran in the lead pack in the Broad Street Run and other big road races.

    Dr. Johnson (right) doted on his daughter, Jacqueline, and son, Bill.Courtesy of the family

    He was also an amateur historian who loved to hash over stories about the old days in Philadelphia and Norristown. “He was analytical and liked to laugh,” his son said. “He was a model for me about the value of hard work and being humble.”

    William Johnson Jr. was born Feb. 24, 1931, in Norristown. He lived with his father, William Sr., sister Jean, and brother Eddie after his mother died, and developed what his children called a “deep sense of family, independence, and faith.”

    Surviving spouses always remember how they met their mate. Here are the meet-cute stories told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    He played football as well as track in high school, joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at NYU, and worked in the New York garment district to make money. He enlisted in the Army after graduation to attend dental school.

    He met Susie Jeffries in Tennessee while at Meharry, and they married, lived in Orléans, France, and moved to Philadelphia after he left the Army. They had two children. They divorced later.

    Dr. Johnson and his wife, Liz, were both dedicated runners. Courtesy of the family

    In the 1990s, Dr. Johnson moved to the Art Museum area and married Liz Goldberg, also a dedicated runner. He and his wife traveled the world together, and she called him “an exuberant and colorful spirit” who “brought energy and joy to those around him.”

    Dr. Johnson was interested in fashion, especially Ralph Lauren, and he and his daughter shopped together frequently. He liked music, French food, art shows, and gardening.

    When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    “Everything he touched seemed to blossom in his strong and capable hands,” his wife said.

    He was curious about people and their lives, his children said. He followed current events, boxing, and the local sports teams closely.

    Dr. Johnson, right above and below, usually ran in the front of the pack. Courtesy of the family

    He read the newspaper practically every day and recently learned to play the cello. He talked with his son and daughter every Sunday.

    His daughter said: “He was a really smart, gentle, and kind person.”

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    His son said: “A lot of people have told me: ‘Your dad was the best.’”

    In addition to his wife, children, and former wife, Dr. Johnson is survived by four grandchildren and other relatives. His sister and brother died earlier.

    Private services were held earlier.

    Donations in his name may be made to Meharry Medical College, 1005 Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, Tenn. 37208.

    Dr. Johnson, right above and below, enjoyed time with his family. Courtesy of the family
  • This type of compassion brings us the most benefit, new study shows

    This type of compassion brings us the most benefit, new study shows

    Studies have long suggested that helping others can make us feel happier, and this extends to caring about animals too — as anyone who volunteers can attest.

    But a new study about compassion offers a window into how it relates to mental health, and it turns out that one type of compassion has more impact than you might think: How we care about and treat ourselves.

    “What came out of the study is that if someone reported high compassion for others but low compassion for themselves, they tended to have anxiety, depression and low well-being,” said Bassam Khoury, lead researcher in the study and clinical psychologist and professor at McGill University in Canada.

    People who struggle with self-compassion, Khoury said, tend to describe themselves in harsh terms.

    “I have many patients saying, ‘I hate myself,’” he said.

    He offered an example of a daughter who takes her aging parent to every appointment but tells herself she’s not doing enough. Or a nurse who covers others’ shifts but misses her own doctor’s appointment.

    “It’s inhuman to care for everyone and not yourself,” Khoury said. “It will fail at some point.”

    Khoury said he sees this pattern often in his practice — and his latest study suggests that having compassion for others while having low compassion for yourself can harm your mental health.

    In the study, published last month in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, Khoury and colleagues surveyed more than 1,200 Canadians online. Participants answered detailed questionnaires about their sense of compassion — how considerate and caring they are toward themselves, toward others and toward animals — as well as their stress, anxiety and depression, emotional regulation, and overall well-being.

    A group of about 200 participants repeated the self-reported survey a few months later, so researchers could determine whether people’s compassion levels remained consistent over time.

    Khoury said self-compassion has four main components: thinking about yourself without judgment, actively taking care of yourself, feeling love and respect for yourself, and accepting comfort or help from others when you need it.

    Paul Gilbert, a clinical psychologist who created the Compassion Focused Therapy method, said compassion is about being considerate of someone’s suffering — including your own — and hoping to ease it. Gilbert was not a part of Khoury’s study.

    “Compassion really is the courage and wisdom to address suffering, whether it’s within you or other people,” Gilbert said. “Compassion is the way we deal with the mutual suffering of all of us.”

    On difficult days, Khoury said, someone with low self-compassion is far more likely to do something harmful to themselves than something kind.

    “This is a population that is much more at risk for mental health challenges,” he said.

    In Khoury’s study, the researchers sorted respondents into six groups based on their answers. Some groups had high compassion for people and animals, or only for animals, but also had low self-compassion. Despite their kindness and consideration toward others, these two groups reported more stress, anxiety and depression than the other groups.

    “If you do things for others but you still don’t take care of yourself, it doesn’t protect you,” Khoury said, noting that those who don’t practice self-compassion are more susceptible to compassion fatigue or burnout. “You can be the best caregiver, but at the end of the day, if you don’t love yourself, you will start resenting others.”

    Another group that had both high self-compassion and high compassion for others and animals reported the least anxiety and depression and the highest sense of well-being of any of the six groups.

    “It’s about balancing; being able to have self-compassion while having compassion for others,” Khoury said.

    Christopher Germer, a clinical psychologist and lecturer at Harvard Medical School who was not involved in Khoury’s study, said the pattern Khoury found is in line with other research on self-compassion. Germer, who studies self-compassion, recently wrote the book Self-Compassion for Shame.

    “Self-compassion is associated with just about every measure of psychological well-being that’s been studied so far,” Germer said. “To grow our compassion for others, it’s important to grow our compassion for ourselves.”

    Khoury cautioned that his study has several limitations, including that the sample skewed heavily female, and most participants were English-speaking Canadians. Khoury said he hopes to expand his research to larger, more diverse samples across different countries. Still, he said he’s confident the core findings will remain.

    One obstacle to self-compassion, he said, is the misconception that it is selfish or self-indulgent.

    “It’s actually the opposite,” he said. “There’s no ego in it. You’re taking care of yourself so you can be an even more loving person.”

    Germer said the simplest way to practice self-compassion is to actually put a hand over your heart (some research suggests it may help reduce the stress hormone cortisol) “as a reminder that we, too, matter; we, too, are in the room; and we, too are suffering,” he said.

    He recommended asking yourself: “What do I need right now? That could be physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually,” he said. “Then do it for yourself.”

    For those looking to build self-compassion, Khoury suggested a few starting points:

    Carve out time each day that belongs to only you. Take a walk, watch television, have a bath — anything that is done for you and not for someone else.

    Try meditation. Khoury said loving-kindness meditation is one of the most effective tools for cultivating self-compassion.

    Accept help from others. This is what people struggle with the most, Khoury said, but letting others take care of you is part of taking care of yourself.

    Consider therapy. If someone is holding negative beliefs about themselves, talking things through with a professional, Khoury said, is itself an act of self-compassion.

    “Anyone can get better at it,” Khoury said. “You just need to put some work in.”

    Building self-compassion doesn’t require you to sacrifice compassion for others. If anything, Khoury said, they are connected.

    “If you take more time for yourself, you are also helping others in a way,” he said.

    But self-compassion isn’t a quick fix. It takes practice.

    “We are all like a flower,” Khoury said. “If you water it every day, it will be much better than if you do nothing and hope it survives.”

  • Peter D. Yeomans, innovative clinical psychologist at the VA Medical Center and backcountry adventurer, has died at 58

    Peter D. Yeomans, innovative clinical psychologist at the VA Medical Center and backcountry adventurer, has died at 58

    Peter D. Yeomans, 58, of Philadelphia, innovative clinical psychologist at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, founder of Cold Mountain Counseling LLC, worldwide mountaineer and backcountry adventurer, teacher, author, mentor, Quaker, and volunteer, died Friday, Aug. 28, of cardiac arrhythmia at the VA Medical Center in University City.

    Dr. Yeomans was an expert in trauma, substance use disorder, moral injury, and spiritually integrated healthcare. He joined the Philadelphia VA Medical Center as a staff psychologist in 2009 and became director of its innovative PTSD outpatient team program in 2019.

    He opened his own psychology practice, Cold Mountain Counseling, in 2021 and advised thousands of veterans, fellow backcountry adventurers, and other clients in need across the country. “He was instrumental in the healing process for so many veterans that it is hard to fathom the reach of his influence,” a VA colleague said in a tribute.

    R. Tyson Smith, a friend and colleague, said several veterans told him: “Peter Yeomans saved my life.”

    At the VA center, in addition to physical and mental ailments, Dr. Yeomans and others innovated a treatment for what are called “moral injuries” from military service. They connected therapists with VA chaplains to link emotional healing with faith rituals, and veterans in the program spoke appreciatively about shifting the guilt and shame of moral failures during war from soldiers in general to society at large.

    “These are stories to hear and also for the public to wrestle with,” Dr. Yeomans told The Inquirer in 2019. His wife, Kate O’Shea, said: “He was the most responsible person you could imagine, and he felt he had a responsibility to humanity.”

    Outside the medical center, Dr. Yeomans spent weeks at a time hiking, backpacking, packrafting, skiing, rock climbing, and mountain biking around the world. He reached summits in Alaska and Argentina, had to be rescued from a deep crevasse, and worked as a program supervisor and senior field instructor in the 1990s for the National Outdoor Leadership School in Alaska, Wyoming, Arizona, and Utah.

    Later, he cofounded the local Wilderness Outdoor Leadership Force for teens in Kensington. Talia Young, a longtime WOLF member, called him “genuine and earnest … and joyful with kids.”

    Dr. Yeomans was an avid cyclist.Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

    Longtime colleague Rob Riman said he was a “consummate adventure partner and wildly inspired guide.” On his website, coldmountaincounseling.com, Dr. Yeomans said: “Many of the fondest memories of my life are from adventures in the mountains.”

    He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Harvard University in 1991 and came to Philadelphia from Wyoming in 1997 to be with O’Shea. He earned a master’s degree in psychology from Lesley University in Massachusetts in 2001 and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Drexel University in 2008.

    Dr. Yeomans traveled to New Zealand, Rwanda, Burundi, and elsewhere to train other counselors. He worked in state correctional institutions in Philadelphia and Chester, and earlier for the American Red Cross in Germany.

    He wrote papers and articles about his research, and his book, Reclaiming Integrity After Moral Injury From War, is to be published in 2027. He organized workshops and panels, and was active with the Nationalities Services Center, the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and other groups.

    Dr. Yeomans and his wife, Kate, married in 2002 and had many adventures together. Courtesy of the family

    He taught classes on moral injuries at Germantown Friends School, the University of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. Longtime friend William Anninger said: “He was particularly good at creating emotional sharing among men.”

    Friend Lila Berman said: “He exuded warmth and care for the people around him, and for the natural environment.”

    Surviving spouses always remember how they met their mate. Here are the meet-cute stories told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    Peter Douglass Yeomans was born Aug. 27, 1968, in Berkeley, Calif. The family moved to Massachusetts when he started high school, and he graduated from Concord Academy in 1986.

    He met Kate O’Shea at an environmental ethics course in Utah in 1996, and they married in 2002 and lived in Germantown. He made her tea in the mornings and left love notes behind when he left the house first. They reared a daughter, Ada, and sons Josiah and Levi, and they all went on memorable adventures in Wissahickon Valley Park, across the country, and around the world.

    Dr. Yeomans, rear left on top and fourth from the left on bottom, enjoyed time with his family in the mountains and on stage. Courtesy of the family

    “They complemented each other perfectly,” their daughter said. “He taught us how to read a map, find a campsite, and most importantly bake cinnamon rolls in the backcountry.”

    Dr. Yeomans was a member of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, and he rode his bike often from home in Germantown to work in University City. He went to Germantown Friends Meeting, played guitar, sang, and acted in theatrical shows in high school and later with community groups and his family.

    When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    He was inclusive and encouraging, his brother, Ben, said, “drawing out capacities in me I wasn’t yet trusting.” His parents, Anne and Tom, said: “It has been a great privilege to have been Peter’s parents.”

    His mother-in-law, Margaret O’Shea, praised his “compassion, selflessness, nobility, and grace,” and his father-in-law, Dan O’Shea, said: “When our daughter met Peter she described him as ‘Mr. Perfect.’ Little did we know how perfect.”

    “It has been a great privilege to have been Peter’s parents,” his parents said.Courtesy of the family

    Kate O’Shea said: “Because of Peter, our world is a kinder, more generous, and more loving place.”

    In addition to his wife, children, parents, brother, and in-laws, Dr. Yeomans is survived by other relatives.

    A memorial service is to be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Germantown Friends Meeting, 47 W. Coulter St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19144.

    Donations in his name may be made to Western Resource Advocates, c/o Elizabeth O’Connell, 1401 Walnut St., Suite 200, Boulder, Colo. 80302; Friends of the Wissahickon, 40 W. Evergreen Ave., No. 108, Philadelphia, Pa. 19118; and veterans programs at the Philadelphia Outward Bound School, 3401 Reservoir Dr., Philadelphia Pa. 19121.

  • Kelly N. Moore, award-winning clinical psychologist, Rutgers professor, and mental health activist, has died at 46

    Kelly N. Moore, award-winning clinical psychologist, Rutgers professor, and mental health activist, has died at 46

    Kelly N. Moore, 46, of Burlington Township, award-winning clinical psychologist, founder of Moore Wellness LLC, director of the Center for Psychological Services at Rutgers University, graduate school clinical associate professor, former fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, mentor, author, mental health activist, volunteer, and 2026 Willingboro High School Hall of Fame inductee, died Thursday, Aug. 20, of kidney cancer at Virtua Voorhees Hospital.

    Adept at treating anxiety, depression, trauma, and perinatal disorders, Dr. Moore became director of the Rutgers Center for Psychological Services and a clinical associate professor in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology in 2020. As CPS director, she mentored hundreds of doctoral students regarding academic requirements and clinical procedures, and supervised the center’s community mental health clinic.

    She significantly expanded the center’s services and outreach, Rutgers colleagues said in a Facebook tribute, and forged important partnerships on campus and in the community. Colleagues said: “Her warm demeanor, melodic voice, vibrant spirit, and calming presence made all who met, and were fortunate enough to know her, feel seen, welcomed, and heard.”

    Earlier, Dr. Moore was program manager for the Rutgers Children’s Center for Resilience and Trauma Recovery. She also taught in the school’s juvenile justice and youth development programs.

    She spent two years as a fellow at Penn’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety after earning her doctorate in clinical psychology at Rutgers in 2011. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she founded Moore Wellness LLC and focused on helping women, children, and clients of color.

    “Wellness does not mean you will never experience challenges,” Dr. Moore said in an online profile for Psychology Today magazine. “Rather, it means having the tools to manage the challenges when faced with them.”

    Dr. Moore was an outspoken activist for mental health education and services. She spoke with groups often, organized workshops, and was featured in newspapers and magazines and on TV and podcasts. “Just trying to get people to understand as much as they can about the impact their mental health and well being have on their day-to-day lives,” she said in a 2026 podcast interview with the Multicultural Counseling Institute.

    She blogged about mental health on her website, moorewellnessllc.com, and contributed pages to academic texts. In 2025, she cowrote Racial Trauma in Black Clients: Effective Practice for Clinicians.

    She belonged to the American Psychological Association and the New Jersey chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists. She was active with the Therapy for Black Girls podcast and the Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology.

    Dr. Moore was a cheerleader and lacrosse player, and graduated from Cornell University in 2002.Courtesy of the family

    She earned leadership and achievement awards from the New Jersey Psychological Association, the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology, and other groups. She was president and a board member of the Burlington County chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc. Colleagues there called her “a beautiful example of leadership, service, grace, and love.”

    Kelly Nicole Walker was born Aug. 20, 1980, in Philadelphia. Her family moved to Willingboro when she was 2, and she graduated from Willingboro High School in 1998.

    She was a cheerleader and played lacrosse and viola as a teenager. Her mother, Diana, was a social worker, and she showed Dr. Moore up close how one person could impact their community.

    “I was just fascinated by this concept,” Dr. Moore told the Multicultural Counseling Institute in the podcast interview. “It was already set at a young age that this was the kind of work I should be doing.”

    She earned a bachelor’s degree in human development at Cornell University in 2002 and a master’s degree in education at Penn in 2003.

    She met Melvin Moore through friends, and they married in 2004 and had sons Miles, Mason, and Matthew. They lived in Marlton and Delanco, and, since 2015, in Burlington Township.

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    Dr. Moore was a longtime member and dance choreographer at the Gospel Tabernacle Church. She joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. at Cornell in 2000 and was on the executive board of its Pi Mu Omega chapter in Willingboro.

    Friends noted her “warmth, generosity, and kindness,” and called her “genuine” and “quietly brilliant” in online tributes. One friend said: “She sure made me proud to be from Willingboro.”

    Dr. Moore and her husband, Melvin, married in 2004 and had three sons. Courtesy of the family

    Dr. Moore doted on her sons and called them her “M & M’s.” She was an avid reader and led several book clubs.

    She liked to garden, play piano, take photos, cook, and crochet. She was diagnosed with renal medullary carcinoma about a year ago and was determined, her husband said, to reach her 46th birthday. She did it.

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    “She always led with purpose and intention,” her sister, Kim Hayes, said. “She was such an amazing person.”

    Dr. Moore’s husband said: “Kelly exemplified unmatched strength in how she lived, how she loved, and how she led. She loved helping other people.”

    In addition to her husband, sons, and sister, Dr. Moore is survived by her father, Michael, her brother, Ahmeen, and other relatives.

    A celebration of her life was held earlier.

    Donations in her name may be made to the Chris “CJ” Johnson Foundation, Box 292, Sugar Land, Texas 77487.

    Dr. Moore (left above) was close with her sister, Kim. Below, she celebrated when her book was published in 2025.Courtesy of the family
  • Joan E. Lynaugh, nursing trailblazer, historian, and professor emerita at Penn Nursing, has died at 90

    Joan E. Lynaugh, nursing trailblazer, historian, and professor emerita at Penn Nursing, has died at 90

    Joan E. Lynaugh, 90, of Gwynedd, Montgomery County, pioneering primary care nurse practitioner, award-winning professor emerita of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, historian, mentor, author, birdwatcher, and “living legend,” died Friday, July 10, of age-associated decline at Foulkeways at Gwynedd retirement community.

    Reared on a dairy farm in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, Dr. Lynaugh became a pioneering international expert on primary care nursing and nurse practitioner policies, education, and history. For decades, from the early 1960s through her retirement in the late 1990s, she treated patients, taught students, researched history, and joined colleagues in defining and expanding the role of nurses in modern healthcare.

    During her career, the benefits of home care, the importance of critical care, and the need for nursing history education were hot topics in healthcare. “As a historian,” she told The Inquirer in 1997, “I take great interest in this shift from the intense emphasis on hospitals to the more balanced emphasis on other kinds of care.”

    Dr. Lynaugh joined Penn’s School of Nursing in 1980. She took charge of the school’s new primary care nursing unit and went on to be director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation primary care nurse practitioner program and associate director of the foundation’s teaching nursing home project.

    Dr. Lynaugh (front center) and her family celebrate her 2005 award as a “living legend.”Courtesy of the family

    She was also the nursing school’s associate dean and director of graduate studies from 1993 to 1996, and chair of the nursing, history, and healthcare department from 1994 to 2000. In a tribute, colleagues at Penn Nursing said: “Dr. Lynaugh was a visionary leader, a prolific scholar, and a dedicated mentor whose extraordinary career left an indelible mark on Penn Nursing and the global nursing profession.”

    In 2000, she told writer Suzanne Gordon: “We know we can’t get into the hospital without a doctor. That’s no surprise. We are, however, surprised to discover that we can’t get out of the hospital without a nurse.”

    She was a founding director of Penn’s Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing in the mid-1980s, and her research focused on the origins of community hospitals and critical care units. In 2005, she was named a “living legend” by the American Academy of Nursing and earned a lifetime achievement award from the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.

    Penn Nursing created the Joan Lynaugh Award for a graduating midwifery student for excellence in clinical practice, and the Bates Center features the Joan Lynaugh Founders Fund to support educational and archival activities, and the Joan Lynaugh Digitization Project Fund to preserve data and material from the Joan E. Lynaugh papers.

    This story and photo of Dr. Lynaugh appeared in The Inquirer in 1997.Newspapers.com

    In 2018, the center named its archives the Joan E. Lynaugh Archives and Special Collections. Before Penn, Dr. Lynaugh practiced and taught nursing at the University of Rochester and the old Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C.

    She was a fellow at the American Academy of Nursing, board chair of the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia, and active with the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and other groups. She cowrote Critical Care Nursing: A History with Penn colleague Julie Fairman in 1998, and coedited the award-winning textbook Enduring Issues in American Nursing in 2000.

    Colleagues at the American Association for the History of Nursing said in a tribute: “Joan’s intellectual curiosity, generosity as a mentor, commitment to excellence, and passion for nursing history left an indelible mark on the nursing profession worldwide.”

    A friend on Facebook called her “one of the smartest, kindest scholars I ever had the honor and pleasure to be mentored by.”

    Dr. Lynaugh (center) enjoyed time with her family.Courtesy of the family

    Joan Estelle Lynaugh was born Aug. 30, 1935, in Canandaigua, N.Y., about 28 miles southeast of Rochester. She studied nursing at St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in Rochester and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing at the University of Rochester, and a doctorate in history at the University of Kansas in 1982.

    Her whole life, she enjoyed traveling, bird-watching, camping, and hiking. She was an engaging host and liked to read mysteries and newspapers.

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    She was a longtime colleague and personal partner of fellow medical professional Barbara Bates, and they lived in Bryn Mawr for years. Bates died in 2002, and Dr. Lynaugh moved to Gwynedd a few years later.

    “Joan will always be remembered for her generous spirit, wonderful sense of humor, persistent intellectual curiosity, and a sincere commitment to making the world a better place,” her family said in a tribute.

    Dr. Lynaugh grew up in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.Courtesy of the family

    Her niece Mary Clare Hamlin said: “She was understated, humble, practical, and scientifically minded. She always wanted to help others.”

    In addition to her niece, Dr. Lynaugh is survived by other relatives. Two brothers and a sister died earlier.

    A celebration of her life is to be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at Penn’s Claire M. Fagin Hall, Room 316, Third Floor front, 418 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19104.

    Donations in her name may be made to the Joan Lynaugh Founders Fund at Penn’s Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, Office of Institutional Advancement, Claire M. Fagin Hall, 418 Curie Blvd., Suite 445, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104.

    Dr. Lynaugh “was understated, humble, practical, and scientifically minded,” her niece said. Courtesy of the family
  • Albert James Mamary, attending physician and professor of thoracic medicine and surgery at Temple, has died at 59

    Albert James Mamary, attending physician and professor of thoracic medicine and surgery at Temple, has died at 59

    Albert James Mamary, 59, of Wynnewood, attending physician and professor of thoracic medicine and surgery at Temple University, researcher, writer, mentor, artist, outdoorsman, craftsman, and amateur bicycling champion, died Thursday, July 9, of cholangiocarcinoma at Temple University Hospital.

    A 1999 graduate of Temple’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Dr. Mamary spent his career at Temple and affiliated hospitals. He was an expert in pulmonary disease, transplants, and sleep disorders at the Temple Lung Center, and became program director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship at Temple Hospital in 2006.

    He earned a master’s degree in anthropology at the College of William and Mary in Virginia and his premedical school credits at the University of Pennsylvania. In a tribute, his family said: “His education in both medicine and anthropology reflected a lifelong belief that caring for a patient required understanding not only the disease but the whole person.”

    Over more than three decades at Temple — as a student, resident, fellow, professor, and physician — Dr. Mamary treated thousands of patients, mentored hundreds of students and doctors, lectured in classrooms and at seminars, and wrote more than 60 scientific papers and textbook chapters. He was named a top doctor by Philadelphia Magazine several times and was featured in The Inquirer and on 6abc TV for his lead role in a successful double-lung transplant in 2015.

    “It’s been 120 to 145 patients, individual patients that we’ve been able to help every year,” Dr. Mamary told CBS News in 2024. “That’s really the aim here, is to add years of life to patients who otherwise wouldn’t have that opportunity.”

    Colleagues called Dr. Mamary a “physician’s physician” and noted his “amazing intelligence and clinical acumen” in tributes. Gerard J. Criner, chair of Temple’s Department of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, said: “His patients loved him not only for his clinical skills but also for the warmth, compassion, and humanity he brought to every encounter.”

    A former patient said online: “He was a calm in the storm of my end stage disease. … The world has lost a hero.”

    A former student said: “His kindness, thorough and balanced approach to medicine, and quiet, thoughtful approach to even the most stressful emergencies reminded me of a Jedi master.”

    Dr. Mamary and his wife, CeilaSue, married in 1996.Courtesy of the family

    Away from the hospital, Dr. Mamary liked to bike, hike, and camp. He built his own 18-foot mahogany canoe, walked the entire 272-mile Long Trail in Vermont, and won masters bicycling championship races.

    He also painted and sculpted, and earned a bachelor’s degree in art and psychology at Haverford College. He and his wife, CeliaSue, initiated the Shortridge Memorial Park Arboretum in Wynnewood and earned a 2024 community service award from Narberth and Lower Merion officials.

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    “James brought wisdom, kindness, curiosity, and genuine joy to every moment,” his wife said.

    Albert James Mamary was born June 12, 1967, in Hempstead, N.Y. He grew up in Binghamton, N.Y., became an Eagle Scout, and was a wilderness river guide for the Boy Scouts in Maine during his college years.

    Dr. Mamary was an avid bicyclist and won masters championship races. Courtesy of the family

    He met CeliaSue Jaffe in class at Haverford, and they married in 1996 and had daughters HannahRose and LilyRuth. They lived in East Falls and Wynnewood, and he rode his bike from home to Penn and then Temple as often as he could.

    Dr. Mamary enjoyed traveling, baking, cooking, and gardening. “His specialty is fruits and vegetables, and I grow the flowers,” his wife said.

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    He followed the Phillies, rescued cats and dogs, and doted on his daughters. Everybody said he was funny and silly.

    “He was curious and always learning or doing something new,” his daughter LilyRuth said. “He took joy in simple things.” His daughter HannahRose said: “Even if he wasn’t my dad I would want him as a friend because he was so interesting and so easy to talk to.”

    Dr. Mamary was a wilderness river guide for the Boy Scouts in Maine during his college years.Courtesy of the family

    Dr. Mamary was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, bile duct cancer, in 2020 and treated by longtime colleagues and friends at Temple, some of whom he had mentored. “It was a profound reflection of the life he lived,” his family said, “that so many of those he had taught ultimately became his caregivers.”

    His wife said: “He was a very vibrant and adventurous person but so thoughtful, steady, and reliable. James was incredible.”

    When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    In addition to his wife and daughters, Dr. Mamary is survived by a sister and other relatives.

    Private services were held earlier.

    Donations in his name may be made to the Albert James Mamary Memorial Fund at the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, 5526 West 13400 South, No. 510, Herriman, Utah 84096.

    Dr. Mamary “was a very vibrant and adventurous person but so thoughtful, steady, and reliable,” his wife said. Courtesy of the family
  • How to make the beach your gym

    How to make the beach your gym

    If you’ve been to the beach with kids, you know it can become an instant playground.

    The beach can be a playground for adults, too, and allow you to move in new and different ways, which can bring fitness benefits you can’t usually get in a gym. The soft sand, wide-open spaces and splashing waves all lend themselves to movement, even when the sun is blazing.

    When you’re navigating seashells and seagulls, “you have to be a little bit more playful, and really present,” said Erin Sampson, a yoga instructor who trains aspiring teachers in Costa Rica and Colorado.

    Compared with exercising on a hard, even surface indoors or even at a park, exercising on sand works your muscles differently, helping to build lower-body strength and improve stability and balance, said Josh Goldman, a sports medicine specialist and team physician for UCLA Athletics.

    And moving in nature and environments that inspire awe can reduce stress and may even lower blood pressure.

    We asked coaches and experts in exercise science how to get the most out of moving on the sand.

    Beach workouts can be short

    The environment may be serene, but exercising on the beach will most likely feel hard: Because sand is less stable than a gym floor or even a trail, your body has to exert more force and energy to walk, run or jump compared with working out on firmer ground, Goldman said.

    Your feet, ankles, hip, and core muscles also have to work harder to provide stability and balance during both propulsive workouts and body-weight exercises like yoga.

    While exercising on sand puts less impact on your joints, the softer the surface, the more challenging any movement becomes, he said. In response, your cardiovascular system will have to work harder to power the same exercise than it would on a firmer and more even surface.

    Soccer and running coaches with access to beaches often have their athletes practice on sand precisely because it is harder, Goldman said.

    But don’t let this scare you: These extra demands on your body mean that you can get a great workout in less time, said Heather Jeffcoat, a physical therapist in Los Angeles. If you can perform well on sand, competing on firmer surfaces may feel like a breeze.

    If you usually work out at the gym or on firmer surfaces, Jeffcoat recommended starting by doing roughly 25 to 30% of what you would typically do when exercising on the beach, to avoid injury and overexertion. For example, if you typically run 3 miles, run about a mile and see how you feel the next day. She also recommended starting on the firmest part of the shoreline, close to the water.

    A similar principle applies to yoga and body-weight training: Easing into these exercises and even starting with less challenging versions of movements you typically do inside can help build the strength and mind-body connection to reap the most benefits. So if you typically do 15 pushups, aim for about five on sand.

    If you have regular access to a beach, you can gradually increase the duration and intensity of your beach workouts as your body adapts, she said.

    Moving in nature and environments that inspire awe can reduce stress and may even lower blood pressure.Amanda Friedman

    They can build mental resilience

    When you take a workout out of the gym and onto the beach, you are opening it up to many more unknowns. There’s the heat and humidity that come with any outdoor workout, but also the possibility of sand on your legs, wildlife and, if you’re on vacation, new terrain.

    It’s not clean or controlled, but that’s the point, Sampson said. The challenge becomes staying focused despite the distractions, and adapting as the ground literally shifts beneath you.

    “It’s the ultimate physical metaphor,” she said, adding that learning to move through obstacles like these can build mental toughness.

    Sand socks can help to protect your feet from heat.Amanda Friedman

    They require a few precautions

    Of course, with all of these additional challenges, you’ll get the most from a beach workout if you come prepared, the experts said.

    Before exercising on the beach, think about your footwear, Jeffcoat said. Walking, running or jumping barefoot can help strengthen your feet and contribute to ankle and leg stability. Sand socks, which beach volleyball players and other athletes sometimes wear while training, can help to protect your feet from heat.

    But if you typically wear orthotics or very supportive shoes while training, doing the same activity barefoot could put you at risk for injury. Jeffcoat recommended starting in sneakers and potentially testing out short bouts of barefoot movement to build strength and stability.

    You should also hydrate before, during and after exercising on the beach, rather than relying on when you feel thirsty, said Cedric Bryant, an exercise physiologist and CEO of American Council on Exercise. You will be exposed to direct sunlight on the beach, along with heat reflected off the sand and water, even on cloudy days, he said, which can put you at risk for overheating and dehydration.

    For all of these reasons, the experts recommended wearing sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and moisture-wicking clothing. Sampson typically tells her yoga students to wear close-fitting clothing. “The tighter your clothes are, the less sand you’re gonna have going down or up or around them,” she said.

    A swimsuit also works: When you’re done exercising, you can run into the ocean for an all-natural cold plunge.

    This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

  • Leonard Abramson, founder of U.S. Healthcare and prolific philanthropist, has died at 93

    Leonard Abramson, founder of U.S. Healthcare and prolific philanthropist, has died at 93

    Leonard Abramson, 93, of Jupiter, Fla., a former pharmacist, founder, chair, and chief executive officer of U.S. Healthcare Inc., author, trustee emeritus at Johns Hopkins University, and one of the world’s most generous cancer research and clinical care philanthropists, died Saturday, July 4, of age-associated decline at his home in Blue Bell, Montgomery County.

    Born and reared in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia, Mr. Abramson earned degrees at Pennsylvania State University and the old Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. He worked as a pharmaceutical salesperson, pharmacist, and hospital management executive in the 1960s, founded U.S. Healthcare in 1975, and nurtured the company into one of the country’s first and largest health maintenance organizations.

    “Abramson accurately predicted the need for prepaid medical plans to manage spiraling medical spending in the ’60s and ’70s and founded U.S. Healthcare to capitalize on this opportunity,” officials at Harvard Business School said when they named him one of their Great American Business Leaders of the 20th Century.

    Under Mr. Abramson, U.S. Healthcare was known for promoting childhood immunizations, mammograms for older women, reduced fees to specialists, and shorter hospital stays. He championed strict standards and accountability for medical professionals, and criticized those who abused a healthcare system then rife with loopholes.

    Mr. Abramson “was a brilliant man whose leadership and vision made the company truly exceptional,” a former colleague at U.S. Healthcare said in a tribute.Larry Price / Staff Photographer

    He wrote Healing Our Health Care System in 1990, and told The Inquirer: “If industry leaders know there are solutions, they’re going to call for them. Innovation leads to emulation.” In 1996, he sold U.S. Healthcare to Aetna Life & Casualty Co. for $8.9 billion, established the Abramson Group, and consulted for Aetna and other companies.

    “He was a brilliant man whose leadership and vision made the company truly exceptional,” a former colleague at U.S. Healthcare said in a tribute. Another said: “He encouraged a commitment to customer service that stayed with me throughout my career.”

    Routinely one of the highest-paid CEOs in the Philadelphia region, Mr. Abramson was a “low-profile, soft-spoken executive who rarely raised his voice in public,” Inquirer business writer Peter Binzen said in 1990. A former colleague at U.S. Healthcare said: “I never worked for a better man.”

    As a philanthropist, Mr. Abramson and his wife, Madlyn, established the Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Family Foundation in 1996 and donated more than $140 million to the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and the Penn Medicine network. In 2002, Penn Medicine renamed its main cancer facility in University City the Abramson Cancer Center.

    This article and photo of Mr. Abramson appeared in The Inquirer in 1990.Newspapers.com

    In a tribute, officials at Penn said he “touched countless lives across the world through his generosity, compassion, and leadership.”

    Mr. Abramson and his wife also funded the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Professorship in Clinical Oncology at Perelman, the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, the Abramson Family Professorship in Sarcoma Care Excellence, and the Abramson Family Professorship in Anesthesiology.

    At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, they supported the Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center and a pediatric emergency department at CHOP’s hospital in King of Prussia. In 2013, they donated $10 million to fund scholarships at the Temple University dental school.

    They also financed the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life senior living center in North Wales, Abramson Senior Care in Jenkintown, the Abramson Senior Care Foundation, and other groups. At Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, they endowed a professorship in neurodegenerative diseases.

    Mr. Abramson and his wife, Madlyn, married in 1957.

    Mr. Abramson’s wife, a cancer survivor, died in 2020, and he donated $10 million in 2021 to establish an endowed chair of cardiac surgery in her honor at Jupiter Medical Center in Florida. He was an honorary trustee for the Brookings Institution, trustee emeritus for Johns Hopkins, board member for many organizations, and a supporter of Project HOME for affordable housing.

    Friends and former colleagues called him a “caring humanitarian,” “a class act,” and “a visionary” in online tributes. One longtime friend said: “Leonard’s kindness and generosity made a difference in the lives of countless individuals.”

    Madlyn K. Abramson, whose philanthropy helped cancer patients, seniors, and educational institutions, has died at 84

    Leonard Abramson was born Nov. 12, 1932. He graduated from Northeast High School and drove a cab to help pay his way through pharmacy school.

    “Not too many people started off with less than I did,” he told Forbes magazine in 1994.

    Mr. Abramson (center) enjoyed time with family and friends. Courtesy of the family

    He met Madlyn Kornberg in college through a mutual friend, and they married in 1957. They had daughters Marcy, Nancy, and Judy, and lived in Blue Bell, Jupiter, Fla., and Camden, Maine.

    Mr. Abramson enjoyed boating, golf, and painting. “He was multifaceted,” his daughter Judy said. His daughter Nancy said: “He was extremely family oriented.”

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    He told The Inquirer in 1990: “I’ll never retire.” He never really did.

    In addition to his daughters, Mr. Abramson is survived by nine grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and other relatives.

    This book by Mr. Abramson was published in 1990.Leonard Abramson

    A memorial service is to be held later.

    Donations in his name may be made to the Abramson Cancer Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market St., Suite 750, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104, and Philly Fights Cancer, Box 9, Wynnewood, Pa. 19096.

  • For these military veterans, Brazilian jiujitsu is a path to healing and finding a new community

    For these military veterans, Brazilian jiujitsu is a path to healing and finding a new community

    As a U.S. Army soldier in Afghanistan in 2013, Dan Kovalik got used to the adrenaline rush of bullets whizzing by while on patrol. Risking his life was part of his job as he radioed in Apache helicopters to protect other soldiers.

    But by the time he retired from the Army in 2018, his 23 years of military service had taken their toll. He had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and was rated 80% disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Kovalik moved back to his hometown of Johnstown, Pa., where he struggled to find the sense of purpose and camaraderie that had come so easily in the military.

    “I was looking for ways to be part of the community,” Kovalik said. “Church. The VFW. Then I tried jiujitsu.”

    Kovalik, 49, shared his story Saturday from the deck of the USS New Jersey, the decommissioned Navy battleship in Camden. The battleship was host to dozens of fans of and participants in Brazilian jiujitsu — a martial art that uses grappling and leverage to subdue opponents — for a day of competition.

    It was part of a two-day jiujitsu seminar and fundraiser put on by the We Defy Foundation, a Texas-based nonprofit that provides qualified combat veterans with free local jiujitsu classes and mentors who help them reintegrate into civilian life. Veterans must have been honorably discharged and have a VA disability rating of at least 80%.

    “The physical execution and mental chess game helps me to focus,” Kovalik said. “That, and just going out for a beer or dinner with friends afterwards.”

    Omar Feliciano, a 33-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Brooklyn, wins his match against Matthew Castillo, with Prodigy BJJ, at the We Defy Foundation jiujitsu event at the USS New Jersey in Camden on Saturday, June 20, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    The program has over 500 veterans currently enrolled, We Defy Foundation executive director Kevin Linderman said. About 70% of those who enroll complete the one-year program.

    “What makes it so different is, you have to do it with someone else,” Linderman said of jiujitsu. “When you’re grappling, you’re connecting with someone deeply. You’re both getting better through the process. It’s physical, and you’re learning how to operate under stress.”

    It’s also one more way to fight an ongoing crisis, Linderman said. Though military veterans made up 7.6% of the U.S. population in 2020, they accounted for 14% of suicides, according to research published in the National Library of Medicine. The suicide rate among veterans is 1.5 times higher than that of the overall population, after adjusting for age and sex, researchers noted.

    Though prevention efforts have shown some success, nearly 6,400 veterans died by suicide in 2023 — the most recent year for which data were available — according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Omar Feliciano of Brooklyn, N.Y., said he found Brazilian jiujitsu after struggling to process a traumatic event he witnessed while in the Marines.

    “It really affected my sleep, my relationships with people,” Feliciano said. “I was irritable for no particular reason.”

    After another Marine recommended the We Defy Foundation, Feliciano applied. Now, Feliciano benefits from the structure of attending jiujitsu class twice a week, keeping him physically active and building camaraderie with other people in his community.

    The 33-year-old mechanical engineer said jiujitsu is helping him be a better father. He fought — and won — a jiujitsu match Saturday.

    “We’ve seen that it has a significant impact in reducing PTSD, depression, and anxiety,” said Linderman, 52, who came to the sport in 2015 while dealing with multiple deaths among his family and friends. Much like the veterans he helps, Linderman said, he was caught in a “rumination cycle,” and he quickly learned that an evening of grappling with opponents was a great way to break that cycle.

    Ethan Wanner, 21, of Williamsport, Pa. and Tried and True Gym, celebrates after winning his match against Josh Newhart, with 10P Bethlehem, at the We Defy Foundation jiujitsu event at the USS New Jersey in Camden on Saturday, June 20, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    The foundation was formed in 2015 by Army veterans Alan Shebaro and Joey Bozik. Though Bozik lost part of one arm and both legs from the blast of a roadside bomb in Iraq, he learned how to adapt his body to the martial art. In the process, Bozik regained much of the community he had been missing, Linderman said.

    As the COVID-19 pandemic waned, interest in the group accelerated, Linderman said. The organization has gotten $250,000 a year in financial backing from Facebook head Tom Alison. With 2,000 people moving through the program so far, interest is only growing. Linderman estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of Iraq or Afghanistan veterans who qualify for the program — including some who are struggling to find connection in civilian life.

    “I think that a way for people to stay connected to each other is one of the most important things right now,” Linderman said.