It is with great sadness we announce the death of Dr. Kenneth M. Heilman of Gainesville, Florida, on July 15, 2024. Kenneth (“Ken”) was a brilliant behavioral neurologist, a prolific author, a dedicated teacher and researcher, a kind and compassionate physician, an artist, a mentor and friend, and a loving father and husband.

Ken was born on June 2, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, to Samuel and Rosalind Heilman and big brother Frederic (“Fred”) Heilman. A scrappy kid from the Bensonhurst/Borough Park neighborhood, Ken excelled at his math and science classes and struggled with his reading, spelling, and foreign language classes. His mother advocated for his continued schooling despite early setbacks. He was an athlete, playing stick ball on the streets as a young kid and later participating in competitive swimming and wrestling.

Ken fell in love with Charlottesville, Virginia when his brother Fred took him to visit colleges, and he chose to attend school at the University of Virginia, majoring in chemistry. He was accepted into medical school after three years of college, graduating from University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1963. He spent his next two years training in Internal Medicine at Cornell University Medical Center (Bellevue) before marrying the love of his life, Patricia Phillips Heilman, of Pineville, West Virginia, on September 4, 1965, in New York.

During the Vietnam War, Ken joined the Air Force and served as Chief of Medicine at the NATO Hospital in Izmir, Turkey, where he and Patricia lived. When he was discharged from the service, he took a Neurology residency and fellowship at the Harvard Neurological Unit in Boston. After completing his residency and fellowship, he joined the faculty at the University of Florida in 1970 as an Assistant Professor. He advanced to Associate Professor in 1973 and Professor in 1975. He received an endowed chair in 1990, and in 1998, he was in the first group of faculty at UF to be awarded the title of Distinguished Professor.

Ken was formerly the Director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at UF, serving those with memory and cognitive disorders, especially those suffering from dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease. Between 1996 and 2009, Ken was also Chief of Neurology at the Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville. He helped to train more than 70 post-doctoral fellows, many of whom are now leaders in academic neurology, neuropsychology, speech therapy, and other related fields. He was the author/editor of 22 books, more than 115 chapters, and more than 670 journal publications, with more than 60,000 citations. He and his colleagues identified several new diseases or disorders as well as their treatments.

Ken’s expertise was recognized by being listed in almost every edition of the Best Doctors in America as well as other publications. He was a past President and received a Distinguished Career Award from the International Neuropsychology Society and also from the Society for Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology. He was an Honorary Member of the American Neurological Association and a Fellow in the American Academy of Neurology (“AAN”). The AAN had a program in 2019 called “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants.” The program highlighted the “five Neuro Giants” who contributed to the evolution of neurology. Ken was one of the “Giants.” In 2019, he was also awarded the “Distinguished Lifetime Contribution to Neuropsychology” award by the National Academy of Neuropsychology. He is generally considered one of the fathers of modern-day behavioral neurology.

In addition to his remarkable career, Ken enjoyed being physically active, especially golfing, playing tennis, or snow skiing. He was an avid reader and writer, a drawer and a sculptor, and a huge proponent of bow ties and Coca-Cola. Ken had an affinity for the beauty and hopefulness of nature. He believed deeply in the power and energy of creativity, as well as the Jewish principle of tikkun olam, which means to act in ways that repair and improve the world. He loved his family deeply and was tremendously proud of his three children and five grandchildren.
Ken spent his final days at home in Gainesville, surrounded by family. He is survived by his devoted wife of almost 59 years, Patricia; his beloved children David, Nicole (James), and Eden (Jan); and his grandchildren Jordan Wilson, Ashton Wilson, Ethan Wilson, Lucas Soeten, and Jan Soeten.

Ken was an accomplished and adored person with an indelibly strong will and a dry and witty sense of humor. His loss leaves an unfillable void in the lives of his family, friends, colleagues, and those who knew him best. Thank you to everyone who reached out and shared their thoughts and well wishes during his recent illness. His life and accomplishments, as well as his many students, residents, fellows, and trainees, allow his legacy to continue. He will also live on through the experiences and memories of his family, friends, and colleagues.