Douglas W. Desterdick, affectionately known as “Dougie” to those closest to him, died peacefully on June 16 at Silver Lake Nursing Home, after a brief illness. He was 73.
Born on Oct. 29, 1950 in the Bronx, New York, Desterdick was predeceased by his parents, Milton and Maureen, and his sister Janice. He was the loving brother of Carol and her husband George, and is survived by his aunt Patsy, his honorary uncle, Patrick Gilbin and his wife Maya, and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Desterdick, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and confined to a wheelchair, lived 15 years of his life in state institutions, including 10 of his formative years at the Staten Island Developmental Center (SIDC), formerly known as the Willowbrook State School, infamous for its horrific conditions and mistreatment of its residents. Ot was ultimately closed and became a symbol of the need for reform in the treatment of individuals with disabilities. “I hate institutions,” said Desterdick in a 1985 Staten Island Advance interview, when he was 34.
“They’re like a jailhouse.” Desterdick entered the former Willowbrook State School in 1963 at the age of 12 because his mother had trouble caring for his medical needs, physical limitations and impaired speech and motor skills. At the Willowbrook State School, some children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities were beaten, experimented on , and left to suffer in deplorable, overcrowded, understaffed and squa.
