Jay David Gaines, MD
Jason passed away peacefully at Serenity House in Santa Barbara on June 12, 2022 at the age of 81. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Priscilla; his son Sam and daughter-in-law Molly; his grandchildren, Theodore, Lois and Beatrice; and his brothers, Joli Kansil and Jed Gaines. He valiantly battled acute myeloid leukemia, which was diagnosed in December 2021.
Born in New York City in 1941, to Sam and Sondra Gaines whose families came from Ukraine, Jason spent his adolescence in Deal, NJ before attending Colgate University at age 16. After graduating from Stanford University School of Medicine, he spent two years of required military service in the Public Health Service which sent him to Ethiopia. He then returned to Stanford Medical School for a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in infectious disease.
This training allowed Jason to return to Africa, where he practiced in Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Most of his time was spent in Liberia with the Peace Corps developing health care projects in rural areas and teaching volunteers to train Liberians to provide basic health care and preventative medicine. He also developed a program for internal medicine at A. M. Dogliotti College of Medicine at the University of Liberia.
In 1975, he married Priscilla, whom he had met on a ski slope in Snowbird, Utah. They moved to Connecticut, where he enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a physician in the greater New Haven area. In addition to founding a family practice, he was on the faculty at the Yale School of Medicine.
After retiring in 2009, Jason and Priscilla moved fulltime to Santa Barbara where they enjoyed time with friends, golf, and the beautiful beaches of Montecito. He always looked forward to his book club, his men’s discussion group, golfing groups and extensive world travel with Priscilla. The family would like to thank his doctors, Christopher Thrash and Daniel Greenwald, and the staff on the Compton floor of Cottage Hospital for their support and dedicated care.
Donations in memory of Jason can be made to an organization of your choice.
A celebration of his life will be held in November.