Jacobs School alumnus Howard Wilinsky, a psychiatrist who practiced for more than 60 years and a volunteer faculty member and lifelong friend of the medical school, died Sept. 9. He was 90.

Wilinsky’s connection to UB spanned generations. A legacy alumnus, he was the first in his undergraduate class to be accepted into medical school, granted early admission at the end of his junior year. He graduated in 1961 and completed his internship and psychiatric residency at Edward J. Meyer Memorial Hospital, served in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and returned to UB in 1967 to begin a distinguished career in academic medicine and private practice.

He led the Forensic Psychiatric Service and held a voluntary faculty appointment as assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry.

After retiring in 2014, Wilinsky remained strongly committed to the Jacobs School, contributing to the admissions committee, the Gold Humanism Honor Society and the Medical Emeritus Faculty Society.

Wilinsky was also a dedicated humanitarian, volunteering with the Human Rights Initiative to assist in the screening of refugees seeking asylum, an extension of his belief in medicine’s role in advocating for justice and human dignity.

Wilinsky was a generous supporter of the Jacobs School’s mission to transform the health of Western New York and beyond through education, research and community partnership. His commitment to advancing knowledge and improving lives was evident in his efforts to bring world-renowned speakers — including leaders in groundbreaking scientific discovery — to the Jacobs School.

A lover of books and classical music, he viewed the arts as gifts to be shared, facilitating discussion groups and taking courses in music, theater and literature well into his final years. He was an accomplished piano player and longtime philharmonic supporter.

He also was an outdoorsman and adventurer who loved swimming, sailing, hiking and playing racket sports. He and his wife, Shirley, traveled to more than 25 countries across six continents.