DONALD KORNFELD Obituary

Name: Funeral service for DONALD KORNFELD
Start: 2022-07-08T14:00:00.000Z
Location: Temple Emanu-El

KORNFELD--Donald S. MD. Donald S. Kornfeld, MD, died peacefully on July 5, 2022, at age 93 in Tenafly, NJ. Born and raised in Newark, NJ, he was a proud graduate of Weequahic High School, Franklin & Marshall College, and Yale Medical School, cum laude ('54). He pursued a career in academic psychiatry and, upon completion of his residency, embarked on an illustrious career at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, extending over 60 years, retiring at the age of 91 as Professor Emeritus and Special Lecturer. He taught several generations of psychiatry residents and medical students, and for decades served on Columbia Medical School's Admissions Committee interviewing medical school applicants. He served as Associate Dean, Faculty of Medicine from 1985-1988, and as Director of Continuing Medical Education from 1988-2009. He was Chairman of the Institutional Review Board at the New York State Psychiatric Institute from 1979-1985 and at Columbia Presbyterian from 1988-2001. Dr. Kornfeld was elected President of the American Psychosomatic Society and served as Chairman of the Consultation/Liaison Committee of the American Psychiatric Association. He was a member of the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital Ethics Committee since its inception in 1986. Over his remarkable career, he authored multiple landmark papers, co-au- thored several textbooks, and served on the editorial boards of multiple peer-reviewed journals in the field of psychiatry. Dr. Kornfeld continued to work tirelessly into his nineties, publishing several papers regarding research misconduct. Dr. Kornfeld is survived by his wife Edythe who was the love of his life for 64 years. He is also survived by his daughters Anne (Joshua) and Debbie (Howard), his four adoring grandchildren, Jacob, Zoe, Rachel and Hannah, and his younger brother Burton. He mourned the loss of his youngest daughter, Harriet, in 2018. Dr. Kornfeld was a committed husband, father, and grandfather, and an ever-curious and dedicated student of the world. He will be dearly missed by his family, colleagues and the medical community to which he dedicated his life's work. Funeral services will be held at Temple Emanu-El, 180 Piermont Rd, Closter, NJ, 07624, on Friday, July 8 at 10am. Shiva will be held on Sunday, July 10 from 1pm-7pm at the Kornfeld home.

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Published by New York Times on Jul. 7, 2022.

Memories and Condolences
for DONALD KORNFELD

7 Entries

Carmen G. Hoepelman

July 6, 2023

Dr. Kornfeld (Don), was my boss several years ago during my time at the IRB. When I moved on to another CU department, we continued our friendship and sporadic email catch ups on life and family. Don was a wonderful person to have known. Funny, great sense of humor and loved his wife and family dearly. Loved speaking about his grandchildren. Loved to teach and went back to school to learn some new things! He was a trusted mentor and guiding light during challenging days. I truly miss him. May Don be smiling upon all of us and may God keep his soul golden and blessed.
When you suffer a loss, it hurts less when you keep memories alive. My best to the Kornfeld Family and I share my deepest condolences.

Maria Díaz Ugartechea

July 4, 2023

I worked for Dr. Kornfeld for over 7 years (1993-1990) at which time my husband and I moved to Florida. He was one of the kindest people I´ve ever met and it was an honor to know him. The love he had for his beloved wife Eydie and their daughters was always evident. For some 25 years after I moved away from NY, I would receive an amaryllis plant every December that would bloom beautifully within weeks. I still have some of those come back every year. We would exchange a letter or card around the holidays and he´d always ask about my boys and husband.
Tomorrow will be a year since his passing. I pray that he rest in God´s eternal peace and that his memory be a blessing to his loved ones forever.

Arnold Lerman

August 7, 2022

Our time together was in an ancient age in Newark. We were best buddies at Peshine and Weequahic We studied together, played stickball in the street, baseball in the schoolyard, violins at the Annex. and school days gabbing in class. His name began with "K", mine with "L" "´ and so he was often just a tap or smile away. At least one teacher had a hard time telling us apart - and more than once, and much to the glee of the class, one of us would go the blackboard when the other´s name was called.
What an extraordinary person he was and what an outstanding career he crafted! It is wonderful to hear how that serious and dedicated student came to realize his full promise, how that fun loving behavior never stopped, and how that warm and caring person came to mean so much to family, colleagues and friends. I have thought about him often. How fortunate to share that early time and to know that his life has been a blessing for all in so many ways.
Arnie Lerman

Marcia Jacobs (nee Wollman)

July 23, 2022

I knew Don briefly while I resided in Newark and attended Weequahic High School. I knew him as a gentle human being, fun loving and generous. My sympathy to his family upon such a grievous loss.

Tuyet A Tran

July 13, 2022

May Dr. Kornfeld's memory be a blessing to Mrs. Kornfeld and the entire family.

It was a privilege that I was blessed to have met and known Dr. Kornfeld as a wise mentor whose kindness and humanity are indelible to me for over half of my lifetime. I was not privileged to have been Dr. Kornfeld's student or trainee, but simply someone who used to work in collaboration with Dr. Kornfeld's multiple positions at the IRB and later as Associate Dean of Columbia Faculty of Medicine. He was an empathic listener who shared his thoughts and gave advice generously on practically any issue and concern.

I remember most vividly his broad grin and twinkles in his eyes with obvious love and pride whenever he spoke of Mrs. Kornfeld and his family. He loved his family as he often said, they were his joy in life beyond his accomplishments. I have always admired and appreciated those wonderful and rare moments that Dr. Kornfeld shared with me during numerous conversations while I worked at Columbia.

I am deeply appreciative of Dr. Kornfeld's kindness, the generosity of his time, and caring advice and mentoring me in life. He gave me hope in humanity. I have always honored Dr. Kornfeld's kindness by paying forward to help others, which I shared with Dr. Kornfeld whenever we talked. Whenever I thanked Dr. Kornfeld for his advice, help, and encouragement, he would always say that he was only performing a mitzvah. There are not enough adequate words to express my gratitude for Dr. Kornfeld, who gave me his time, valuable counsel, and advice when I wasn't even his student or trainee. I would not be where I am were it not for Dr. Kornfeld's kind supportive words and encouragement. I will miss Dr. Kornfeld dearly and will continue to treasure his words while paying forward to honor his memory.

Dear Mrs. Kornfeld and the entire family, my prayers are with each of you. May God Bless Dr. Kornfeld's soul. May God Bless and Comfort each of you in this time of sadness.

I thank Mrs. Kornfeld for her remarkable humanity, grace, kindness, and generous spirit to have talked with me. Thank you so much for allowing me to express my deepest condolences and sympathy as I share my memory of your beloved Dr. Donald S. Kornfeld.
Love, Tuyet

Babette Weksler

July 10, 2022

Not only was Don Kornfeld a wonderful teacher when I was a medical student at Columbia P&S, but he was a helpful neighbor over many years as I sought his medical opinions. About 15 years ago, I sent a younger colleague, a cardiologist from Venezuela, to him for assistance in setting up studies on the effect of psychological stress on cardiac function. Thanks to
Don's help, Dr. Jose Pena has been able to develop
a fascinating set of studies involving physiologic effects of political stress on cardiac function in both children and adults living currently in Venezuela, using very simple and inexpensive technology, in the face of Pena's personal loss of his academic position and private medical practice in that country due to political disturbances. Moreover he has presented these findings at many international meetings. In fact, news I received today indicated that Pena's most recent abstract has just been accepted for a psychiatric meeting in Mexico. This entire line of research--and its rescue of a gifted physician's career-- would not have been possible without the direct help from Don Kornfeld.