Bergen County Pediatrician Who Led Battle For Later School Start Times Dies

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — A Bergen County pediatrician who led a statewide fight for later school start times passed away on Monday at 66.

Dr. Anne Catherine Robinson (nee Videtti) was born in Italy and graduated from Ridgewood schools — Willard Elementary School, George Washington Middle School, and Ridgewood High School — according to her obituary. After graduating from Wesleyan University, she was one of a few women in her class at Baylor College of Medicine.

She raised her kids in Ridgewood and worked at Valley Pediatrics, the obituary notes. She also volunteered in and around the area, including with Raphael's Life House, to help young, pregnant women. She also served as a "tireless" advocate as a member of the NJ American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Adolescent Sleep & School Start Time, the obituary says.

Changed Three years Ago

In fact, three years ago, she and Principal Jeff Nyhuis of Ridgewood High School presented a proposal to the Ridgewood Board of Education called "Finding a Healthy Balance."

Nyhuis told the board that he and Robinson had worked on the proposal for 12 years. (See Nyhuis and Robinson present at 40:20.)

Following the presentation and a survey of the school community, the Board of Education passed a resolution to begin the Alternate Start Time in September 2023. The Ridgewood High School start time moved from 7:45 a.m. to 8:20 a.m.

A post about Robinson on the Ridgewood High School alumni page elicited memories, including a woman who wrote, "I remember her from GW & RHS ... you could tell she was going places. Sounds like she helped many people in her lifetime."

Services will be held Monday. Read her obituary here.