Dear Reader,

We are writing to inform you of the recent passing of our father Dr Sidney Bindemann.  As a founding figure and a trail-blazer in the field of psycho-oncology, the provision of psychosocial care for cancer patients as well as care and support for relatives, friends and healthcare professionals, it really is the end of an era.  He left school with no formal qualifications but through sheer hard work and dedication he became a highly qualified clinical psychologist and leader in his field.  Prior to qualifying in psychology he qualified as an ordained minister starting off life in the Salvation Army.  Very few people in his clinical life were aware of this, not because of any embarrassment on my father’s part but he recognised not all who he dealt with both in terms of fellow healthcare professionals and patients necessarily had religious or spiritual beliefs.  However, his personal life experiences (including the death of two sisters when he was a child and two life-threatening illnesses later in life) helped position him to work with deep care, compassion and sensitivity, ultimately making him good at his job.  He will be sorely missed and he leaves a huge legacy and resource from which many can draw.  We as a family will look to continue and build upon that legacy as best we can.