In Memoriam: Cheri A. Pies, 1949-2023

Cheri Pies, a clinical professor emerita in School of Public Health of the University of California, Berkeley, died on July 4. She was 73 years old and had suffered from cancer.

A native of Los Angeles, Professor Pies held a bachelor’s degree in social sciences, a master of public health degree, and a doctorate in health education from the University of California, Berkeley. She also earned a master of social work degree from Boston University.

Professor Pies’ 1985 book, Considering Parenthood: A Workbook for Lesbians was an important guide for lesbians who were eager to become mothers but needed help to navigate the legal and practical issues around adoption and the use of sperm donors at a time when such information was not widely available and society generally did not condone same-sex partnerships.

Dr. Pies was also one of the founders of the Best Babies Zone Initiative. The program, which eventually spread to nine cities, aimed to reduce infant mortality by fostering collaboration across community sectors, such as economic development, health care, education, and child care. For this work, in 2018 she received the 2018 Maternal and Child Health Bureau Director’s Award from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

Dr. Pies retired from teaching in 2017.