--- description: The actor and comedian was especially kind toward my children when they would visit the set title: Patch Adams: 'Thank You for All You’ve Given This World Robin, Thank You My Friend' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4e964a20758a3b18/69869f4a361760145890d6e5/patch-adams-robin-williams.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Culture](/tag/culture/) ## Culture Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Patch Adams: 'Thank You for All You’ve Given This World Robin, Thank You My Friend' by [Patch Adams](/author/patch-adams/) ## Patch Adams Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 12, 2014 9:45 PM CUT  Robin WIlliams as Patch Adams; Patch Adams at Club Noel Hospital August 16, 2003. Robin WIlliams as Patch Adams; Patch Adams at Club Noel Hospital August 16, 2003.Universal/Getty Images; Carlo Durna Araujo—Corbis by [Patch Adams](/author/patch-adams/) ## Patch Adams Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 12, 2014 9:45 PM CUT The terrible news of the passing of Robin Williams reached me here in the Peruvian Amazon late Monday night with tremendous sadness. Surrounded by over 100 friends and clowns on our annual clown trip, we mourn this tragic loss and continue to treasure his comic genius. Robin Williams was a wonderful, kind and generous man. One important thing I remember about his personality is that he was unassuming—he never acted as if he was powerful or famous. Instead, he was always tender and welcoming, willing to help others with a smile or a joke. Robin was a brilliant comedian—there is no doubt. He was a compassionate, caring human being. While watching him work on the set of the film based on my life—_Patch Adams_—I saw that whenever there was a stressful moment, Robin would tap into his improvisation style to lighten the mood of cast and crew. Also, I would like to point out, Robin would be especially kind toward my children when they would visit the set. Contrary to how many people may view him, he actually seemed to me to be an introvert. When he invited me and my family into his home, he valued peace and quiet, a chance to breathe—a chance to get away from the fame that his talent has brought him. While early in life, he turned to drug use and alcohol to escape, he replaced the addiction with moments of solitude to help cope with the stress that fame brought. This world is not kind to people who become famous, and the fame he had garnered was a nightmare. While saddened, we are left with the consequences of his death. I’m enormously grateful for his wonderful performance of my early life, which has allowed the Gesundheit Institute to continue and expand our work. We extend our blessings to his family and friends in this moment of sadness. Thank you for all you’ve given this world Robin, thank you my friend. _Patch Adams, MD, is a doctor and an activist for peace, justice and care for all people._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3105119/robin-williams-dead-patch-adams-remembers/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3105119/robin-williams-dead-patch-adams-remembers/"},"headline":"Patch Adams: 'Thank You for All You’ve Given This World Robin, Thank You My Friend'","datePublished":"2014-08-12T21:45:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:54:33.724Z","description":"The actor and comedian was especially kind toward my children when they would visit the set","url":"https://time.com/3105119/robin-williams-dead-patch-adams-remembers/","keywords":["Culture","robin williams"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4e964a20758a3b18/69869f4a361760145890d6e5/patch-adams-robin-williams.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Patch Adams","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/patch-adams/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4e964a20758a3b18/69869f4a361760145890d6e5/patch-adams-robin-williams.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"patch-adams-robin-williams","caption":"Robin WIlliams as Patch Adams; Patch Adams at Club Noel Hospital August 16, 2003.","creditText":"Universal/Getty Images; Carlo Durna Araujo—Corbis","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/culture/","name":"Culture"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3105119/robin-williams-dead-patch-adams-remembers/","name":"Patch Adams: 'Thank You for All You’ve Given This World Robin, Thank You My Friend'"}}]}] ```