Our beloved colleague and friend, Joao Gomes-Pedro passed away on February 16th, 2026. His passing was met with deep sadness by those who knew and admired him. Joao was widely respected for his important contributions to the field of child development, along with his genuine care and dedication throughout his entire career. His legacy will be remembered through those who learned under his brilliance and the many who had the pleasure of working alongside him.

Below, please find tributes shared in honor of Joao from across the globe and click this link for a video celebrating his legacy. 

Ana Teresa Brito, Portugal: “It is with deep sadness  that we share with you the passing of our beloved João.  At this time of mourning, we embrace you, his dearest friends, his American Family. His memory and legacy will remain alive in us as a light, illuminating a path of hope, sensitivity and love; may we be able to feel and lovingly give back as much as we received from our Professor and Master”.  

Shohei Ohgi, Japan: “Please accept my deepest condolences. I will never forget the kindness and support you showed us whenever we met in Boston. We are profoundly grateful for everything you did. I know you will continue to watch over us as we move forward.  May you rest in eternal peace, Joao”.  

Joshua Sparrow, USA: “João, like Berry, and the best pediatricians, kept alive that baby inside of him that Sally Provence talked with Berry about. I remember his sheer joy and delight as he played with babies, his warmth and kindness as he listened to parents. I think João also had the soul of an artist, a poet, and -with our friends and colleagues in Portugal and with that spectacular conference in Lisbon – of an orchestra conductor. He was so moved by beauty and pathos, felt his life and what we all experienced so deeply, and with that, led us in our music making together” 

Mario Becker, Campinas, Brazil “With greatest sadness that I receive the message about João. I  agree with all impressions: what a great Human Being, a Pediatrician, a Professor and a Leader with everlasting personal and professional learnings!   I had the fortune to get to know – always through Berry’s teaching – João being a Fellow at the Child Development Unit. After that, in Lisbon at Baby 2000, and two years ago in Lisbon.  My deepest feelings to Maria João and family. Te agradeço de todo coração, João! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, João!” 

Tom Brazelton, USA: “Oh Kevin, I am so sorry. I was going to email him since I hadn’t heard back from an email I sent in mid-January. Thank you so much for letting me know”. 

Ed Tronick, USA: “ He was glorious.  To know him was too be blessed. We were so lucky to know him. He was a generous and kind person. He made a real difference to pediatrics, But even more so to the people that he touched”. 

Joanna Hawthorne, UK: “I am so very sad to hear this news about Joao.   I send you my sincere condolences, as you and he were such wonderful friends, and I know you were very close. He was a very warm and lovely man, and I met him at many Conferences and Brazelton events.  Remember that you, Joao and I watched the World Cup match in Paris, between Portugal and maybe France?” 

Claire Goldman, Belgium. “What a sad news…I met Joao a few times and I kept the memory of a nice and dynamic man who succeeded to integrate the NBAS training into the Pediatric’s one. Time goes by…” 

Jayne Singer, USA: “To all and to Joao’s beloved family and colleagues: I’m thinking of him and Berry reconnecting right now, sitting somewhere pondering over wisdom and laughter, and drinks of course”  

Gherardo Rapisardi, Italy: What sad news, and what a great human and professional loss! His contributions both in the field of the Brazelton approach and in others will be remembered and will inspire many new professionals.  I remember sharing accommodation with him during the Cape Cod meeting in 2008 when the entire international group gathered to work together on the publication of the fourth edition of the NBAS. I have very fond memories of the time I spent with him, of his warmth and kindness!  We will miss you, Joao!” 

Yvette Blanchard, Canada: “How sad! Thank you for letting us know. I know he was a good friend to you. He had a great life, a wonderful family and career and lived as close to paradise as is possible on this planet. I’m sure he went in peace”.  

Dieter Wolke, UK: “That is sad news indeed. He was the kindest and most generous person. We had such a fantastic time in Berlin 1985 and he organised the most amazing event, Bebe 2000 in Lisbon. Some 3500 people at the event with unbelievable hospitality. It is very strange, I thought of him yesterday planning to cycle the length of Portugal this autumn and thought I should really contact him. My thoughts are with his family. And changed so much on infant care in Portugal!”   

Connie Keefer, USA “This is very sad news”.   

Kristie Brandt, USA: “So deeply saddened to hear this awful news. He was a wonderful person”.  

Marie Grenet, France: “What sad News, I know he had health issues, he was such a gentleman, a friend, an inspiration. We shared so many meetings, fun moments all around the world. I do remember being in the same plane back from a meeting in Boston, we spent the trip talking, sharing our common passion for babies and their parents. He will be remembered” 

Aditi Subramianam, USA: “What a tremendous loss for our field and for families and babies. Holding Joao’s family and loved ones in my thoughts and prayers”.  

Susan Minear, USA. “I am so sorry to her this news.  What a beautiful man Joao was and how much he gave to our field!  He and his family are in my prayers.  Thank-you for sharing this news with me.”  

Marie-Paule Durieux, Belgium. “It is undoubtedly a sad news and a great loss”.  

Drina Candilis-Huisman, France: “With Joao’s departure, it’s as if the history of the working group that gathered around T.B. Brazelton in the 1980s has come to an end. We trained together, passionately sharing our discoveries about newborns and babies, and doing our best to pass on T.B. Brazelton’s ideas.  Joao was, through his stature as a great pediatrician and his warm personal qualities, an essential member in our group.   The memory of those sunny years  remains attached to him and to our group”.  

Carmen Rosa Noruna, USA: “I am very sad to hear this news. A loss for our field. I am keeping Joao’s family and loved ones in my thoughts”.   

Marjorie Beeghly, USA: “I’m so sorry to hear this– very sad news, indeed!  In addition to his being an important scholar and mover-and-shaker, he was a very kind man with a good sense of humor– fun to be with.  He will be greatly missed!” 

Marina Fuertes, Portugal:  “I am sad to let you know that our dear friend Gomes Pedro passed away, and he will be greatly missed. I know you remember him with great affection. 

Nadia Bruschweiler-Stern, Switzerland:” I join you all in your thoughts and words about the unique, warm, enriching, and generous person that Joao was. As head of the pediatric department at his hospital and thanks to his vast network of friends in the scientific and political fields, I believe that he greatly changed the care provided to children in his country. It happened that I thought of João probably on the day he passed away. I was showing this picture to colleagues, taken in Avignon in 1996 with him, Berry and Laurence Pernoud. 

In October 2002, João organized the masterful international conference “Mais Criança” in Lisbon’s Coliseum. What an unforgettable event it has been for Berry and our gang! The huge arena was filled with thousands of people around the government of the country. It was extremely impressive to speak in front of such crowd! João then organized an excursion for us on the Douro River, during which conversations, laughter, and songs brought our group closer together, generated new ideas and strengthened our passion. 

João has been part of all the opportunities to share, support and spread Berry’s work. 

He had many talents, including that of being a philosopher and poet. In his lectures, he had a gift for elevating and broadening our thinking, bringing out the “little prince” that lies dormant in each of us and making us want to make the world a better place. 

In 2010, during a conference where I spoke in Lisbon, Maria Joao and Joao treated me to a special birthday dinner at their home that I will never forget. Thank you, João, for your profound humanity and kindness, and for your vast influence!” 

Kevin Nugent and Lise Johnson, USA:  “Joao was not only a great scholar and leader in the field of Pediatrics, but we will also remember him for his personal warmth and his marvelous capacity for friendship across the years.  His loss will be felt around the world.  He came here to Boston to learn the NBAS in 1982 and indeed, he and Berry had a lifelong friendship.  Since then, he has been an integral part of our International Trainers Network from the time we first met as a group in Berlin in 1985.  Joao joined every Trainers meeting until health prevented him in recent years.  He added so much insight to our understanding of intervention and support for families. He also established the Brazelton/Gomes-Pedro Foundation which continues to promote relationship-based interventions with infants and families in Portugal.   

Joao’s leadership and commitment was an inspiration to all of us.  He was truly one of a kind – he was goodness and kindness personified and one of the warmest people one could ever know.  It was a privilege to have known Joao and we offer our deepest sympathy to his wife, Maria-Joao and his family – his children and grandchildren”. 

 

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