Dr. Barry Davis Fletcher

Barry Davis Fletcher, MD, 82, of Asheville, died Thursday, May 17, 2018, after a brief illness. He is survived by his loving wife, Heather Fletcher; his children, Christopher, Mark and Jennifer, as well as grandchildren, Gabriel, Stella and Julien; and his sister, Nancy Rhoadarmer (John) and nephews. Barry was raised in a small community in Southern Ontario, Canada. His lifelong love of music began in high school where he played clarinet and alto saxophone in the school and town bands. His introduction to medicine began early as his father was a beloved general practitioner and his mother, a nurse. He obtained his medical degree from McGill University, Montreal, and received his specialty training in pediatric radiology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, where his fascination with medical research began. In Montreal, his work focused on diseases of the premature newborn lung. While in Cleveland, OH, he became one of the first investigators to explore the emerging modality of magnetic resonance imaging in the study of congenital heart disease. For the final 12 years of his career, he was chairman of diagnostic imaging at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis. He built an outstanding clinical research department with cutting edge technology that continues to do groundbreaking work in the study of childhood cancers. He authored and co-authored over 200 original papers, chapters and books. For his contributions as a scientist, teacher, personal mentor and leader, The Society for Pediatric Radiology acknowledged him with its two most distinguished honors, its Gold Medal and Pioneer Awards. In retirement, Barry and his wife, Heather, maintained an active lifestyle. He loved his three-year association with Project Hope in China as consultant at Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. An avid hiker, he enjoyed the mountains of Western North Carolina, gaining many new friends with his modest manner and winning smile. He regularly conducted cleanups of overlook sites as a Friend of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Skiing and swimming were also favorite pursuits. At age 75, he fulfilled a lifelong wish by trekking to Mt. Everest base camp. He reconnected with music, learning to play the piano again and eagerly becoming involved with the Asheville Chamber Music Series (ACMS). He was a devoted volunteer for Loving Food Resources (LFR), a food pantry for clients with HIV/AIDS and home hospice. A private service is being arranged. In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful if Barry’s life were remembered through a donation in his name to: Asheville Chamber Music Series(ACMS) PO Box 1003 Asheville, NC 28802 (828)-575-7427 Email: support@ashevillechambermusic.org or to Loving Food Resources (LFR) PO Box 25142 Asheville, NC 28813 http://www.lovingfood.org

Tributes

Dr. Barry Davis Fletcher

May 17, 2018