Deceased November 13, 2018

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In Memory

After graduating from Amherst, Jay Barnett attended medical school in Syracuse, did an internship in Greenwich, Conn., and then completed his residency in dermatology at NYU. He served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force with time spent in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Jay was a board-certified dermatologist for more than 40 years, who was recognized internationally and published many articles as a pioneer in hair transplant surgery and in the use of liquid injectable silicone to treat acne scars, aging lines and other facial problems. He provided care for HIV and AIDS patients in the 1980s and 1990s, welcoming all patients without judgment. He received the President’s Award from the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery. He occupied an office in a brownstone on East 70th Street, New York, and lived above it. Jay was described as “a gregarious fixture of that neighborhood.” In later years he practiced for “a glittering clientele” with his daughter, Dr. Channing R. Barnett.

Jay frequently attended dermatological meetings in San Francisco, where he would meet for meals with Reuben Clay ’60 and Russ Kirschenbaum ’60, but, mysteriously, never simultaneously. He and Reuben shared Christmas season phone conversations about the “state of the world.” Similarly he and Russ talked annually just before Rosh Hashanah. Tony Alonso ’60 remembers last seeing Jay at a medical meeting at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla., where Jay “was full of life and a delight.” Dick Weisfelder ’60 witnessed Jay starring in basketball for Riverdale Country School, a role Jay reprised at Amherst, where he majored in biology. Jay also competed in high school football against future classmate Pete Gilbert ’60, who played for rival Poly Prep.

Jay is survived by his wife of 45 years, Donna; his sister, Serena Weisberg; his children Franya, Dov and Channing; nine grandchildren and his beloved dog, Chase.

Reuben A. Clay ’60
Russ Kirschenbaum ’60
Tony Alonso ’60
Dick Weisfelder ’60