Lawrence “Larry” Pakula, a dedicated pediatrician and philanthropist, who died on November 8, 2022, left an extraordinary legacy that has improved the lives of children and their families over five decades.

 “It is impossible to walk through the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center without experiencing the extraordinary impact of Dr. Larry Pakula and his family. Their incredible generosity has enhanced every piece of our tripartite mission of clinical care, education and research,” says Margaret Moon, co-director of the Children’s Center.

After earning his degrees at Beloit College and Washington University School of Medicine, Pakula came to Johns Hopkins to complete his residency. He left Baltimore for two years to serve in the Air Force Medical Corps in the Philippines and then returned to Johns Hopkins to complete two postdoctoral fellowships, one in behavioral aspects of pediatrics and the other in the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center.

Here began an enduring and incredibly meaningful relationship between the Pakulas and Johns Hopkins Pediatrics. While raising their four children — Baila, Annette, Dale  and Louis — Larry and his wife, Sheila, dedicated much of their time and resources as generous champions of the Children’s Center. Their support was instrumental in shaping the Children’s Center into the renowned institution it is today.

“My parents were firm believers that every child, regardless of economic status, race, and/or gender, deserves the best possible healthcare so they can have the greatest opportunity to grow, thrive and develop into productive adults,” says  Annette Pakula, of Naples, Florida.

Larry Pakula dedicated his life to caring for children, following in the footsteps of his father, Sidney, who was also a pediatrician. In 1963, Larry co-founded Pavilion Pediatrics at Green Spring Station in Lutherville, and spent much of his career in private practice. He was most recently a professor emeritus in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins, and both he and Sheila served on the Children’s Center National Advisory Board. 

Along with Sheila’s parents, Frank and Josephine Sutland, the Pakulas often focused their support on neonatal care. This was important to them because of their belief that babies should have the best available resources so they have the greatest opportunity to flourish from the moment they are born. Unveiled in 2012, the 49-bed Sutland/Pakula Family Newborn Critical Care Center provided an upgraded space for neonatal care at Johns Hopkins, allowing all families to have private rooms and larger accommodations.

The Pakulas also established professorships to support research — one focused on pediatric genetics in memory of Frank Sutland; the other on newborn medicine in memory of Josephine Sutland — as well as the Lawrence C. Pakula, M.D., Innovation Fund Award. After Sheila died in 2016, Larry created the Sheila Sutland Pakula Professorship in Maternal and Newborn Health.  And, in 2019, a final professorship focused on education and mentorship in pediatric medicine, was named, appropriately, for Larry.

“Dr. Pakula leaves behind an incredible legacy at the Children’s Center, not just through his generous financial support, but also through his ongoing partnership in so many of our clinical initiatives, especially regarding our ability to care for sick neonates,” says David Hackam, co-director of the Children’s Center.

“My parents found great satisfaction in learning about the ongoing research and the state-of-the-art developments in pediatric medicine at the Children’s Center, and they understood that funding these initiatives would aid in ensuring the Center’s growth throughout the years,” says Annette Pakula, the immediate past co-chair of the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center Council, who has been intimately involved with Johns Hopkins Pediatrics since she began as a candy striper when she was 13 years old.