L E G A C I E S

Thea C. Spyer

Thea C. Spyer, an extraordinary woman, died peacefully Thursday, February 5 at age 77 from aortic stenosis. Dr. Spyer earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Adelphi University. She interned at St. Vincent’s Hospital, NYC and Veterans Administration, NYC and she later became Director of the Psychiatric Clinic at the International Center for the Disabled and was Clinical Consultant in Rehabilitation at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Westchester before concentrating exclusively on her private practice.

She was born to Elisabeth Ketellapper and Willem Spyer in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and immigrated to the US States during World War II. Thea was an avid violinist, and golfer and dancer before she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She reinvented herself every year of advancing physical disability to stay active and working and joyous in her life.

Told of her death, friends offered the following adjectives: vibrant, witty, courageous, compassionate, insightful, resolute, and beautiful; the epitome of intrepid brilliance. She is survived by her spouse Edie Windsor, whom she married in Toronto Canada in 2007 after 41 years of living together, by her Netherlands cousins, and by her loving friends and former and current patients.

To learn more about Thea, click here to link to her website.

Thea Spyer Center

Located in New York City, Callen-Lorde is the global leader in LGBTQ healthcare. Since the days of Stonewall, Callen-Lorde has have been transforming lives in LGBTQ communities through excellent comprehensive healthcare, provided free of judgment and regardless of ability to pay.

In 2014, Callen-Lorde started a campaign for their second location – the Thea Spyer Center. The Thea Spyer Center provides mental health services to thousands of LGBTQ New Yorkers each year, offering short and long term counseling, psychotherapy, crisis intervention, group therapy and more, all delivered through a supportive and culturally competent model by experts in LGBTQ health and wellness. To help support the work of Callen-Lorde and offset the over $5 million in unreimbursed care that Callen-Lorde provides each year to those in need, donations can be made to the Spyer Center in a special annual fund dedicated in Thea’s memory.

To make a gift, click here or contact Donnie Roberts, Senior Director of Development & Communications at (212) 271-7172.