William S. Staewen

On Friday, September 19, 2025, William Stanley Staewen, 91; beloved husband of the late Jean L. Staewen; devoted father of William Scott Staewen & wife Lisa.

William S. Staewen C.C.E., Emeritus, co-inventor of the Implantable Heart Defibrillator and a Clinical Engineering pioneer, graduated from the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering and Mathematics. His medical engineering career spanned over 30 years, first with the Johns Hopkins Departments of Neurology and Biophysics and then as Director of Clinical Engineering at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore

Bill Staewen was especially active towards enhancing patient electrical safety and electromedical device standards development.

He is the co-inventor (with Doctors’ Michel Mirowski and Morton Mower) of the Electronic Standby Defibrillator. This is the patent that allowed the development and manufacture of the Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD). For his role in the invention of the ICD, he was inducted into the NASA Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1991 and received the Michel Mirowski Award for Excellence in the field of Clinical Cardiology and Electrophysiology in 1995.

He was certified in Clinical Engineering by the International Certification Commission in March, 1975.

As a member of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) he held the following offices:

A. Vice President, 1977-1978

B. Board of Directors, 1978-1981

C. CoChairman Electrical Safety Committee, 1989-1996

D. Standards Board, 1979-1989

E. Chairman Hospital Codes and Standards Committee, 1978-1986

F. Principal Representative to NFPA Panel 17, 1981-1984

G. Chairman Publications Committee, 1987-1991

H. CoEditor Clinical Engineering Journal, 1978-1980

I. Editor, Clinical Engineering Section, Medical Instrumentation, 1980-1984

J. Editorial Board Biomedical Technology Today, 1985-1988

K. Editorial Board Biomedical Instrumentation and Technology, 1988-1996

L. CoChairman of the 29th, 30th, and 31st AAMI Annual Meetings.

He authored or coauthored over 50 articles, presented 34 papers at national meetings and symposia, chaired eight scientific sessions and co-chaired three annual scientific meetings.

Graveside service will be held on Friday September 26, 2025 -12:00PM at Gardens of Faith Cemetery at 5598 Trumps Mill Road Baltimore, MD 21206.

Online condolences at www.Burrier-Queen.com.