We are deeply saddened to announce the peaceful passing of Dr. Roger Broughton on November 9th in France, at 88 years old. He is survived by his devoted wife, Marie-José Dealberto, who was by his side in his final days. Dr. Broughton passed away in Vallon Pont d’Arc, Marie-José’s birthplace, where their family has a farm that has been in the family for over 300 years. A funeral was held in Vallon on November 13, and a celebration of life will take place in Ottawa in the spring of 2025.
Dr. Broughton was the founder of the Canadian Sleep Society (CSS) in 1986 and served as its first president from 1986 to 1988. The CSS was incorporated in 1989, with three highly regarded researchers—Roger Broughton, Robert Ogilvie, and Carlyle Smith—endorsing and supporting its formation. Roger was also instrumental in the development of the Sleep Research Society and the World Association of Sleep Medicine. In 2003, the CSS created the “Roger Broughton Young Investigator Award” in recognition of his contributions to the field. Over his career, Roger authored numerous groundbreaking papers and books and gave talks at international conferences. Among his many honors were the Career Investigator Award (1968–1997) from the Medical Research Council (now the Canadian Institute for Health Research) and the Dr. J. Grimes Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. His final award, in 2021, was presented by the European Union Narcolepsy Network in recognition of his pioneering work on narcolepsy.
Dr. Broughton will be dearly missed by his wife, her family in France, his brother Bill, his children Lynn, Michael, and Kathy, his two grandsons, Jacob Larocque and Ross Broughton, many cousins, nieces, nephews, and their families, as well as his friends and former colleagues around the world.
In his memory, donations may be made to Alzheimer Society of Canada or a charity of your choice.
You can find his complete orbituary here.