Maxim Daamen

In memory of Maxim Daamen, my grandma (Veroniqe Daamen, his sister) always spoke very fond of him. I'll try to find old photos from my grandma and "uncle" Maxim (as we used to call him)!

Maxim, I miss you still. You hold a singular place in my heart and in my memory.
I miss you too, dear Enzo.
Love to you both.

I have some sad news to share - Maxim's beloved Labradoodle Enzo died after 13+ years of life. She passed quietly at the home where she has lived for the past 11 years - a home with loving owners and an extended family with children and grandchildren. Enzo's owners lived on, and owned, a small countryside golf course where Enzo could run to her heart's content, chasing Canadian geese and making friends with countless golfers over the years. I've posted several photos here, including one of Maxim and Enzo when she was still a puppy. For those who wonder about her name, you should read the book The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein. It's a very moving and heart-warming story of a dog and its owner told from the perspective of an aging dog who hopes to be reincarnated as a human. Maxim loved the book, and named his dog Enzo after reading it, even though she was female (Enzo Elizabeth is her full name). He even bought a BMW, after years of owning Accuras. With Maxim, and afterwards, Enzo had a very good life.

Miss you

Don, bless you for caring for the beautiful Enzo. God is watching over you. I will keep her in my prayers.

I just returned from my 30 year brown reunion where I served on a small panel to discuss lessons/experiences since graduation. In my bio, I wrote "Maxim, my eldest, is named after a Brown professor."

Jason - I do remember. And of course, I remember Maxim all the time - I still have a picture of the two of us on my office wall and look at it often - the same picture I posted here back in 2014. And the news on Enzo is all good - she is with a loving family, with children, and has miles of open land to run on every day, and even more friends among the many golfers who have gotten to know her.

Don, I don't know if you remember me but I was the last of Maxim's friends to spend time with him before he had to leave us. I was very close to Enzo, and she has been in my prayers ever since. I'm so happy that she is doing well! God Bless.
Jason Chace

I still think of Dr. Daamen all the time. He made a huge difference in my life. What a wonderful person.

Thank you PD for keeping Maxim's memory alive here on Legacy.com. (We will get it next year!) I do think we all find it comforting to come back and share a thought about our dear friend. I think of him often and wonder what would Maxim do when I have some decision to make. xoxo

Another year has gone by, but I'm sure your loss continues to be felt by many. Now, I no longer look up to the third floor every time I walk past your place on Angell, but when I do I still am half expecting to see the light on in your little office. I still miss our dinners and the friendship that went with them. I can still see and hear your soothing and kind voice almost as if it were yesterday. Your genuine kindness, and humble, caring presence lives on in the connection that many felt towards you. That people still think of you in this way is a tribute to what you had touched in the lives of so many and if anything can make us immortal, it must be something like this.

Maxim: Another years passes, two since you left us. I have pictures of you and I in my office, an everyday reminder of good times and a long friendship. You'd be pleased to know that Enzo is doing very well - living with a loving family with kids and grandkids to play with, and an entire golf course to run and chase Canadian geese and other animals every day.

Don

Maxim,

Hard to believe two years have passed since you left us. We think of you often and smile - and miss you lots. All our love, Chris + Vince

Dear Max,there is still a very empty place in my heart where you belong. No doctor could be better than you or better friend. gail

Memory of the loss of wings

An hour comes
to close a door behind me
the whole of night opens before me
- W.S.Merwin

I only just found out about this from Maxim's other MIT roommates Tony Picardi and Don Edwards, at our 45th reunion where Maxim should have been too. All of us were at TDC and later an apartment on Windsor St. It was good to read so many nice words about Maxim, who was indeed a kind and gentle person. And I hope is dog is being cared for.

We met on a damp and chilly March morning in 1986 and your soft spoken demeanor and unbridled charm brought the same type of warmth that's derived from a reading a Hemingway in a cozy fireside library. You'll always be remembered for who you are and how you lived your life.

Merry Christmas Maxim. Love and miss you.

I think of Dr. Daamen everyday because just his kindness made a big difference in how I began to see my life.

Chris and Vince
Thank you both so much for keeping this guest book open for all of us who knew Maxim and miss him. The opportunity to reminisce and to share the sorrow of his loss and honor his memory has been very helpful.

It is hard to believe that a year has passed. You are still in my heart and in my thoughts and I think that I will never forget you. I only wish we had had more time together. You were truly an extraordinary man and psychiatrist. I miss you so.

It is wonderful to read these messages about Maxim. As I thought about what I could contribute, it occurred to me that many were not at his service at Brown, and thus missed hearing the wonderful remembrances from a number of Maxim's friends and family. Despite how well we thought we knew him, those stories and memories showed all of us aspects of Maxim and his life that we were not aware of. So - though it may be a bit long for this forum, I am sharing what I said that day - an attempt to describe 47 years of friendship with an extraordinary man in a few lines of text.

Maxim remembrance 10/12/2013

Good morning. My name is Don Anderson, and I had the great fortune to be a friend of Maxim's for 47 years – an astounding number that I just calculated the other day.

47 years is a long time, and I obviously can't cover it all in this remembrance. So I will focus on the earliest years – the time when Maxim and I were college students in Cambridge – on our own for the first time, and struggling to find our social and professional paths in life. It may surprise some of you to know that Maxim went to MIT – that is where I met him. MIT is a highly technical school of physical science and engineering, without a lot of soft, human elements to it. I know why he chose that school, given his interests in gliders and aeronautics during high school, but without that knowledge, many of you might think of it as an inappropriate school for the Maxim we all know now.

It may also be a surprise to learn that I met Maxim in an Air Force ROTC class. I think both of us enrolled in the course because of the financial support that the program provided, and perhaps because of the values and wishes or traditions of our fathers and families. Here again his early interests in gliders and aeronautics clearly was a factor.

I don't recall how Maxim and I found each other among the other cadets, but we did, as he and I were kindred spirits rapidly coming to the realization that we did not belong in that program - learning about combat tactics, airplane types, armaments, and military history. Remember also that those were turbulent times – the late 1960s were when the Vietnam war was in full stride, and the marches and protests in opposition to that war were frequent, and growing worse every day.

And during all of that, there were Maxim and I and the other cadets, marching around the MIT athletic field and the campus, wearing our blue Air Force uniforms, carrying our fake rifles, and trying to ignore the catcalls and derisive comments from those we passed. Those were very hard marches, and each one was successively more difficult to face.

I mention this here because that was one of many times when Maxim and I talked about major life decisions that one or both of us faced, and in that instance, together, we made the decision to turn down the lucrative four-year scholarships that were offered to both of us, thereby increasing our financial stresses considerably, and even throwing both of us into the first draft lottery that threatened to send us into war anyway.

It was also the first of several instances in those years where he and I found ourselves on paths that did not resonate with our beliefs or abilities or natures, and where we changed directions. With ROTC, we changed directions together, but in others, we chose decidedly different paths.

To provide another glimpse of these changes, I want to share another MIT experience. Imagine if you will a big lecture hall – room 26-100 as it was called, as every building, room, department, and course at MIT has a number. Maxim and I had all the same required freshman classes – physics, calculus, and chemistry, otherwise known as 8.01, 18.01, and 5.01 - and we sat together in all of them.

These were often morning classes, and I would show up to find Maxim there, always on time, a big cup of coffee in his hand, eating his typical breakfast – a piece of bread lathered with butter, covered with chocolate or strawberry jimmies. I can still picture the two of us sitting there, me often sound asleep, despite my best efforts to stay awake. And beside me was Maxim, awake, drinking his coffee and eating his jimmies, and dutifully taking notes, trying hard to keep up with the lectures. For years afterwards, he would tell everyone how frustrating it was for him to see this scene play out class after class, and then at exam time, I would do just as well as him on the tests, and often better.

I don't think either of us saw it at the time, but I can look back and see the way our career paths were becoming clear, and diverging. For me, science, math, and engineering came relatively easily, and to this day, that is my career and it suits me well. At that same time, I think Maxim realized that his head and heart were elsewhere, that his future was not in aeronautics, chemistry, physics, or biology. Instead - he gravitated towards psychology, humanities, art, and even architecture. And just as I found my niche and my stride in the physical sciences, Maxim found his in human sciences – which he pursued through medical school and the rest of his professional career, to the benefit of many of us sitting here today.

I wish I had time to talk about the years right after we graduated, when Maxim was in medical school at Tufts, and I was in graduate school at MIT. Those were also challenging times for him, not just because of his studies, but because that is when he came to terms with himself as a gay man. I know he agonized over that decision and what it meant to him, his family, and his friends. And remember that society was very different and far less open and accepting of such things in those days.

I have many stories and recollections from those times, like going skiing and staying at his family home in Vermont, where his mother would serve us huge pans of bahmi, which remains one of my favorite foods.

Or when Maxim managed a rooming house on Beacon Street full of single women who all adored him and flirted with him, but never with any success, to their evident frustration and confusion. I was in awe of what I thought was incredible self-control and professionalism on Maxim's part, until I learned the reason. He was the fox in the chicken coop, but he preferred other foods than chicken.

Or of the time that I was visiting him, and we heard pebbles hitting his front window, which he then opened up, and in comes the Director of the Boston Symphony, tuxedo, black tie, white scarf, who gathers us all together and off we went out into town to hidden bars that I would never have found, or considered going into alone. But Maxim was with me, staying protectively nearby and deflecting the interested patrons away from me. I guess I was hot back then.

I am forever grateful that nothing changed in the relationship that Maxim and I had in those years. From my perspective, it was an opportunity to see a part of the world, a vibrant part of society, that would otherwise have been closed to me. And in retrospect, I like to think that my acceptance and unchanged attitude towards him was one small part of what Maxim needed to adjust to his new role as a gay man.

In closing, I want to jump forward in time to the last 5 or 6 years, which was a time when Maxim found himself alone in Tiverton, when he brought Enzo into his life, and when he truly became a part of my family. I don't know how it started, but we went from seeing him once or twice a year to inviting him to Christmas diners, Christmas mornings, Thanksgivings, Easters, and multiple other family gatherings. He and Enzo would join us at these events, and during those times, I saw Maxim forge bonds with everyone in my family. He had a gift for listening, and making everyone feel he cared about them, and was wonderful in offering guidance to all of us as we faced life's challenges. As my son Eric put it “Maxim was the most genuine person I ever met. He was always gentle, polite, and unassuming, and he talked to us like he cared deeply about each of us, and wanted to help. I will miss his dry sense of humor, his caring nature, and how it felt to have him as a member of our family…..”

Several years ago, at Christmas as we were all exchanging gifts, Maxim asked if he could keep a copy of our family calendar – I make one up each December with photos of all of us from the preceding year, and it is always a very popular Christmas gift for the family members. For every month, I put small, individual photos on the date of each person's birthday so a glance could tell us all who in the family had a birthday coming up. And just last year, and I'm so glad I did this, I put pictures of Maxim and Enzo on their respective birthdays – a small gesture, but one that clearly showed Maxim what we all felt – that he was family.

When my brother unexpectedly passed away a few years ago, Maxim counseled me that it was important to realize that he hadn't really gone, that he was alive in my heart and memory. And now, I find strength in the many images and memories from the years Maxim and I spent as friends, and I know that for me, and for everyone in my family, this gentle, polite, unassuming, empathetic, and wonderful man will always be with us.

We love and miss you Maxim.

I cannot believe it has already been a year. Maxim was a dear family friend, having attended college with my father at MIT and then settling down only 30-40 minutes from where I grew up. Over the years he became part of the family, especially during my early-adulthood and the final 5+ years of his life. We spent many wonderful days/nights celebrating during countless holidays, graduations, birthdays, BBQs, polo matches and any other occasion that warranted us getting together as a group. He had a knack for perfect timing and was always there for a kind word, introduction to a friend, piece of advice, or even to serve a glass of his homemade jalapeno margaritas. His calming demeanor was contagious, and his dry wit and amazing sense of humor kept a smile on your face no matter the occasion. He was humble, selfless and never sought attention. Even at the service at Brown University on that Saturday morning late last summer I had the sense that he would have blushed at the thought of so many people saying such great things about him, but he truly was that wonderful of a person.

I'm not sure what brought me to this website this afternoon a year or so later, but it's helpful to know that I am not alone in feeling the sadness that still envelops me when thinking about Maxim. At the same time, it's incredible to see how many lives he touched in such a meaningful way, and even the individuals who interacted with him professionally clearly understood him and can call Maxim as a dear friend. He was special and I can truly say that I am a better person having known him. I miss him and have no doubt that I will carry his memory with me throughout the remainder of my life.

Still think of you every single day Maxim. You are so missed.

It is hard to believe that it has been a year. I still miss you and think of you every day.
JJC

I, like everyone else who knew you, still miss you terribly...your soft, soothing voice, your intent listening to whatever I was saying, and your sage advice. There is no one who can replace you and all that you were.

Maxim: I miss you so much. I still think of you every day. I miss your presence. I miss your gentle suggestions. I still think "oh, I just need to talk this out with Dr. Daamen", and then you aren't there anymore. I'm glad to see how you are still loved. Best: John

A loss that I keep feeling. Every time I pass your place on Angell I look up to your third floor window half expecting to see the light on in your little office. I miss our dinners and the friendship that went with them. One year has passed but I can see and hear your soothing and kind voice almost as if it were yesterday.

Maxim...we think of you every day. Especially today. Hard to believe it's been one year since you passed. I particularly miss the good advice I could always count on you for. We hope wherever you are that you're happy. We'll be at your special place tonight toasting you with a negroni. Miss and love you. Chris + Vince

Hi Dr. Daamen,

I just wanted to let you know that I still miss you and wish you were here.

Love,
Lisa

It;s hard to believe that a year has passed since you left so unexpectably. I miss you everyday and although I have found a new doctor, no one can replace you. Rest in peace my confidant and friend.

I just learned of Maxim's death from a fraternity newsletter from MIT. He was probably the main reason I joined Theta Delta Chi, which was a very formative experience for me. He was a year ahead of me in school, and welcomed me to the fraternity with the warmth, honesty and openness that are evident throughout the many remembrances here. We did not keep in touch since 1968 or 1969, but everything I read here makes me wish I had. Blessings to his family and many friends.

I just learned of Max's passing yesterday. He was a GREAT person and I miss him. Please remember that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Tell the important people in your life just how much they mean to you now, don't wait until tomorrow.

I miss you Max
Russell

I miss Dr. Daamen so much and think of him often. I especially wish I could find someone like him to talk to, but, sadly, have not yet found a suitable replacement. Anyone have any good suggestions?

Happy Birthday, Maxim. I always think about you and miss you.

Maxim as your birthday arrives I want to express that it was a joy and an honor that you spent your last birthday with me. As always, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your loved ones.
JJC

Maxim will always be a special mentor to me, an example of what a doctor and human should aspire to be like. His insights, patience, and compassion are testament to a character with depth and vision. Few people have inspired me the way he did. Many of my life decisions stemmed from his influence. I will miss him dearly.

"Maximus was my model for self-control, fixity of purpose, and cheerfulness under ill-health or other misfortunes. His character was an admirable combination of dignity and charm, and all the duties of his station were performed quietly and without fuss. He gave everyone the conviction that he spoke as he believed, and acted as he judged right. Bewilderment or timidity were unknown to him; he was never hasty, never dilatory; nothing found him at a loss. He indulged neither in despondency nor forced gaiety, nor had anger or jealousy any power over him. Kindliness, sympathy, and sincerity all contributed to give the impression of a rectitude that was innate rather than inculcated. Nobody was ever made by him to feel inferior, yet none could have presumed to challenge his pre-eminence. He was also the possessor of an agreeable sense of humour." - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Doctor Daamen was a genuinely good human being. I knew him for just over 9 years and confided in him so much about myself. When I heard he had passed I couldn't believe it. I felt so sad. I will certainly miss him and his black dog which he always had close by. Rest in peace sir, I will miss you.
Paul W.

I miss Dr Daamen more and
More every day. I miss him tremendously. I think about him all the time. I try to recall all the tools he taught me and remember how he never judged me and always made me feel like my feelings were valid
No matter how crazy they seem to me. I wonder how I'm going to get through life's hurdles without him. I have never felt so safe being in his care. I think about him every day and hope he
Knows how much I loved him.

I am always so happy to see a new entry . It keeps the memory of a wonderful man alive.

I'm so glad to find this Guest Book is still up and to discover the photo gallery. Like so many others, I am still missing Dr. Daaman and think about him often. Thank you Chris + Vince.

Just 19 and a college drop out, I found a job in Boston and moved to a rooming house on Beacon St. between Arlington and Berkeley, closer to my work at Houghton Mifflin. Maxim was the rooming house manager and a medical student at the time. Jilted by my boyfriend, I found solace in the therapy of dancing and spent many evenings in the company of Maxim and his friend Andy. My wild and sorrowed youth exercising and exorcising--dispelling all ills.
I thank you, Maxim, for the cups of tea on 'rent nights.'
I have not thought deeply of this time of my life in a long while. It was 43
years ago! How is this so? It has been lovely to have these different memories floating up of those five years in Boston before I returned to college.
Maxim, you were an exceptional young man and it appears you became an extraordinary man, and a positive influence for so many.
How lovely to reflect on those days my careless youth did not know to cherish!

Happy Anniversary Maxim

Maxim had a tremendous impact on me as a medical student rotating through his service at the VA in the 1980s. He was very supportive of me as a student and genuinely interested in my future. While I pursued surgery rather than psychiatry, I am better at what I do because of Maxim.

I have an appt with a Dr Walter Fitzhugh in Lincoln. My friend went to him after losing Maxim and had a very good experience. He told her about her treatment plan if it aint broke don't fix it. Listens well especially about losing Maxim. I am currently seeing a doctor in Bristol who is kind but am not clicking with him so I made an appt with Dr Fitzhugh. He books 2 mos out so if you want an appt do it now. Best of luck

To the person asking about other psychiatrists: Maxim Daamen was truly extraordinary and won't be replaced for me. That said, I am doing ok with Joshua Kane on hope street in Providence (easy to find on google). He listens well and asks good questions. He isn't shunting me into a totally different psychiatric experience. Missing Dr. Daamen every day.

The picture at the beach was from the spring 2013. It was a wonderful time! Maxim was extremely camera-shy so I'm so glad he took shots with us. I miss you Maxim!

Looove the pictures!!

Has anyone met a psychiatrist who possesses any of the wonderful qualities that Dr. Daamen exemplified and was so loved for? It is difficult for anyone to come close to his gifts.

Mathilda, to the right where it says "View Photo Gallery", just click on the pictures.

How can one access the photo of Maxim Daamen?
Thank you ,
Mathilda

Wonderful photo of Maxim! I submit one of good times this past spring. Merry Christmas Maxim. You are always in my thoughts and prayers. I miss you.

You are welcome - I posted the photo of Maxim with the horses. It was taken in 1985 or 1986. Maxim participated in a host family program to match faculty with students who had traveled far from to attend Brown. Maxim was assigned to me. He grew to be a wise and sage mentor and we kept in touch consistently. A decade after graduating from Brown, I was happy to call Maxim to tell him that my first born son had been named after him.

The photo was taken just off of Neck Road by his home in Tiverton.

Dear maxim
I am so upset and ungry with my self that I did not make the effort to come to see you all this years.
I lived with the hope that one day we will meet again.
I will be looking for you in the sky when I get up there.
I will always remember you and love you very much!!
Sotis

Merry Christmas beautiful Maxim. Thank you so much to whoever put the picture up with the horses, what a poignant reminder of his profound delight in nature.

A big thanks goes out to the person that provided a picture of Dr Daamen. It is so beautiful I had to catch my breath. Even though I was a patient for over ten years, we never exchanged photos. I felt a reward was given to me. Thanks

Maxim I still miss you every day and think of you so much. I'm so glad for the time we had together. I expected us to have much more time but God needed an angel. I miss Enzo terribly and I will always love you.
JJC

Maxim...we think about you everyday and miss you lots. Especially this time of year. xoxo C+V

Dear sweet Maxim, how I miss you especially during this holiday season. You always knew how to counsel me and I sorely miss that. I hope you are looking down on me and seeing that I am doing ok even though I can't seem to yet bond with my new doctor. No one is like you and God is very lucky to have you closeby although I think you were always close to Him. How else could you care for so many people unceaseingly and so purely. Merry Christmas to all of those who lost you.

I just learned of his passing. Maxim was a friend and a kind mentor. My son is named after him.

Happy Thanksgiving Maxim. You are so deeply missed.

Thanks to JD who answered my questions about Enzo and Dr Daamen. I'm happy Enzo is with people who love her and that She has plenty of room to roam. Also, will think of Dr Daamen in the air that I breath outside in nature. From what I read about him in his obit he loved nature and that he is in the wind makes me consoled. Thanks again J for answering my inquiries I am truly grateful.

To my dear doctor and friend Maxim Daamen, Thank you for your loving care over the past 18 years. You were a man of great wisdom and compassion. You were not only my supporter and advocate, but a model of courage and strength. May you receive ten fold the love and understanding you gave me and others. I will miss you more than words can convey.

To Chris and Vince, Thanks for sponsoring this guest book. It really helps me to grieve the loss of my beautiful doctor. I miss him so much. Just wondering about Enzo. Is she with people who love her as Maxim did? Also is there a visitng place of where Maxim rests to visit? Just wondering so I can leave some flowers at his place of rest. Thanks again for this guest book

The posts by patients and friends are hard to distinguish. Maxim's ability to hear and see was not bounded by arbitrary roles. He touched all the people in his life in a very similar way. I was a friend for many, many years and mourn with all the loss of this wise, compassionate, caring and humble man. If the world were filled with people like him, how rich a place it would be.

Max, I am so glad I was able to speak with you a few minutes on the phone last year. I was hoping to see you at our 50th reunion and have such good memories of working with you on our HS yearbook. I am not surprised by the wonderful things you have done to help others. You had a way about you back then. Many of us will remember you fondly.

Working a crossword puzzle, using my Cymbalta pen (gift from Dr. Daamen), clue is "automaker Ferrari" (Enzo!) and remembering a kind and gentle man who helped me work on myself for over 20 years. I will never forget him.
JR

First there was the old red building on Angell Street, then pressing the #11 Daamen button and hoping to hear the door lock buzz open, then the long climb up 3 steep flights--a test of stamina. Reward! I always wanted to arrive early to experience the calm and light of his waiting room with its Chinese sideboard, his Tufts and MIT magazines. When Dr. Maxim Daamen emerged from his office, he was fully present with his riveting gaze, deep, warm voicewith its trace of accent. He was always comforting, but never intimate, spoke truths, some difficult but he consistently inspired me with his profound knowledge and quest for answers. Maxim Daamen's remarkable looks--handsome with seemingly magical eyes--how deeply into one's psyche did this unique person gaze? Memories of Dr. Maxim Daamen are now engraved in my mind.
I send deepest sympathy to his family, his friends, and all those who grieve the loss of Maxim Daamen.
"Death is only a horizon, and horizon is nothing save the limit of one's sight." (Memorial Service for Samuel Barber)
MMH Wakefield, RI 10/22/13

As as 12 year patient, I was shocked beyond words to learn of Dr. Daamen's death. He raised me from what I thought were incurable levels of depression and guided me to a new level of happiness. Dr. Daaman had the unique ability to make you feel like you were his only patient. He was kind, witty and totally professional and there is no way that anyone can ever replace him. He was one of a kind and I can't believe to this day that he is really gone. I hope that somebody kind is loving Enzo. She is a jewel. I hope that Dr. Daamen finds peace in eternity. My deepest sympathy to his family and friends. He was one special guy!

I miss you very very much, Kim

I am shocked and saddened to hear of Dr. Daamen's passing. I so enjoyed his gentle compassion and believe that he was one of the best in his field. I will never forget him and how helpful he was to me.

Dear Dr. Daamen,

When I stood at your office door two weeks ago and realized that you had died that W.H. Auden poem that begins with the demand, "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. . ." flashed through my mind. It seemed unfair that the sun continued to shine and that the cars continued to creep and beep their way up Angell Street--as if nothing had happened. Time just needed to stop.

That my world is so shaken just testifies to how lucky I am to have had sixteen years of your patience, wisdom, and kindness. Thank you for sticking with me for so long. I will never forget you.

And to you, Dr. Enzo: I will continue to take long walks, as you have prescribed, and I will think about you doing the same! Stay well, dear friend.

Thank you Maxim for your compassionate, wonderful care of all your patients. Its been an honor and a blessing to work with you. No words can express my appreciation for your care of my family. You will be truly missed and not replaceable. Our sincere sympathy to your family, friends and Enzo. God bless you.

It's still hard for me to grasp the news of your passing, Dr. Daamen. When I first walked into your office as a teenager I just assumed you would be another appointment in my life.

Little did I know that over the many years we spent working together to change my life around, that you would be the light at the end of my tunnel.

No words can express how saddened I am to hear of your passing, and my sympathies to your family and friends. While I may have only been one of your patients, what you have done for me makes you a dear friend whom I will NEVER forget.

Thank you for everything, without you I don't know where I would be.

doctor i am going to miss u i had u 4 28 years no one going to take your place thank u 4 helping me when i need u the most i will never forget u i am so sad

Dear, beautiful Maxim...30 years of your blessed presence, your groundedness, and compassion. So many people and dogs love you. Please visit us in the woods and on the beach. Enzo romps through your spirit. Sal and Lila

Goodbye maxim. You made a difference! Farrokh captain from Pakistan.

In some ways I believe that the patient/healer relationship can be a one way street. You come in sick, he cures. You don't "know" the healer all that well. You don't go fishing or hanging out together or bond in in the traditional sense.

Dr Daaamen it seemed, knew much more about me than I know me.
As a years long patient of Dr. Daamnen he finally cured me of a life long depression and I am forever grateful for that.

In reflection I've found that I did indeed "know" the man.

A gentle, shy, brilliant, endlessly curious man who treated me with compassion and good humor.

Thank you, my friend (and comic sidekick Enzo) for being with me in my deepest darkest times.

You live on in my heart.

Thank you for being such an amazing doctor, My deepest sympathies to family, friends and all those suffering your loss including Enzo. I will miss you,

Maxim is an example of the rarest of men. The balance of extremes that he embodied can only be found in the greatest of men. Perhaps one of the most important aspects Maxim was his lack of cognizance concerning his own greatness. This innocence maintained over a lifetime of experience inspires me a young straight man who vows to cary Maxim's torch of compassion, understanding, acceptance, generosity, hospitality, integrity, wonder, and spontaneity. It allowed him to connect profoundly with people from so many walks of life. He was truly a man grounded and familiar with the basic and raw aspects of existence shared by us all, yet his example leads us to a sense of wonder even in these things. It is selfish to wonder where we will find such extraordinary friendship in our lives, instead we must endeavor to cultivate such friendships as he did. Maxim your legacy is alive and well in those who's lives you have touched. You are truly 'AMAZING!'

Maxim is an example of the rarest of men. The balance of extremes that he embodied can only be found in the greatest of men. Perhaps one of the most important aspects Maxim was his lack of cognizance concerning his own greatness. This innocence maintained over a lifetime of experience inspires me a young straight man who vows to cary Maxim's torch of compassion, understanding, acceptance, generosity, hospitality, integrity, wonder, and spontaneity. It allowed him to connect profoundly with people from so many walks of life. He was truly a man grounded and familiar with the basic and raw aspects of existence shared by us all, yet his example leads us to a sense of wonder even in these things. It is selfish to wonder where we will find such extraordinary friendship in our lives, instead we must endeavor to cultivate such friendships as he did. Maxim your legacy is alive and well in those who's lives you have touched. You are truly 'AMAZING!'

I saw Dr. Daamen more than 300 times, and never wondered even once whether he was the right doctor for me. He was a gift. When I need help, I will remember Dr. Daamen, and he will help me.

Note to Maxim

Can a psychiatrist be ones' friend? If you define that position as one who knows your most intimate secrets, one who provides a stability that makes life tolerable, one who can determine those moments that are pivotal to future happiness and one who can help through all those impossible dreams, you have defined one of the many facets of Maxim. I love him and will miss him forever both as my friend and as a thankful patient for the time spent with him over fifteen years. Goodbye Maxim. I Love you, Gail

Note to Maxim

Can a psychiatrist be ones' friend? If you define that position as one who knows your most intimate secrets, one who provides a stability that makes life tolerable, one who can determine those moments that are pivotal to future happiness and one who can help through all those impossible dreams, you have defined one of the many facets of Maxim. I love him and will miss him forever both as my friend and as a thankful patient for the time spent with him over fifteen years. Goodbye Maxim. I Love you, Gail

You were a blessing and a gift, and I am deeply sad that you have passed on. Thank you for the kindness and compassion you showed me.
You would have smiled at this: I found out about your death tonight as I sat outside waiting for an AA mtg. I finally made it into the halls.

Nancy

Maxim I love you and cannot believe this. I cherish our time together. JJC

Thank you for sharing your wisdom, passion and humor with me in my search for sufficient entitlement. Thank you...

I'm terribly grateful for Dr. Daamen, who met me in my darkness and led me into the most joyous season of my life.

Anonymous

I still can't believe I will never again see or hear Dr.Daamen's wonderful, soothing voice. I loved him so much and looked forward to seeing him and his beautiful dog, Enzo. Rest in peace. It took me so long to find you, and you were taken away much too quickly. I will miss you.

Dr Daamen was so beautiful and a sensitive intellectual and now my heart is heavy and vision blurred. Your warmth is remembered and missed. I'll continue looking for you around every corner. Thank you for everything we shared.