Social Psychologists Set an Example

Sandra Bem, a feminist social psychologist and the author of gender schema theory, died May 20 at her home in Ithaca, NY, at age 69. Her husband, Daryl Bem, is also a prominent social psychologist. The following is the relevant section of her obituary.

The cause of death was suicide.

When she was diagnosed four years ago with Alzheimer's, she said she would end her life while she still could when the disease became too debilitating to continue.

After years of expensive medical treatments, she stopped all care six months ago and decided it was time to die.

She bought a copy of “The Peaceful Pill Handbook” and chose to take her life with pentobarbital.

The family held a service for her two days before her death.

“Instead of a funeral service, the family met with her last Sunday, a group gathering where we all shared our memories of her and our thoughts and feelings,” said her husband, Darly Bem, 75, also a nationally recognized psychologist. “Everyone was aware that Tuesday was the deadline.”

After spending her last day with Daryl, during which the couple went for a long walk, watched a movie and had dinner, Sandra took the drug at about 7 p.m. Tuesday and died in her sleep.

Thanks are due to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for having the courage to publish this information. I suspect some readers were not pleased.