STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — From the wooded trails of Huguenot to the pediatric wards of St. Vincent’s, Dr. Jayne D. Rivas spent her life caring for others and strengthening the Staten Island community she cherished.
A pediatrician whose career spanned decades, Jayne’s compassion extended far beyond hospital walls. Whether in the hospital corridor, a community meeting, or a wooded hiking path, Jayne carried with her a deep sense of purpose and service. She died on Dec. 18, 2025, at the age of 78.
Childhood in Huguenot
Born to Albert and Marguerite Rivas, Jayne grew up in Huguenot when the neighborhood still felt rural and untamed.
“It was a wonderful childhood,” said her sister, Marguerite Rivas. “All the South Shore was undeveloped. There were woods all over the place. There were ponds. You could just grab your ice skates and walk back into the woods and skate on any given pond.”
Jayne and her friends spent long days exploring the outdoors, stopping by a local teen hangout known as “The Shack,” and returning home only when dinner called. Those early years instilled in her both independence and resilience.
But alongside that freedom was a quiet discipline and a drive to excel that set her apart.
Even as a child, Jayne stood out for her intellect. She shared a bedroom with her younger sister, who remembers waking in the middle of the night to find her studying.
“I once asked her, ‘Do you have a test?’” Marguerite recalled. “She said, ‘No, I’m just studying what I learned today.’”
That combination of curiosity, independence and diligence became a hallmark of her life.
An early calling to medicine
Jayne’s interest in medicine began early. As a teenager, she volunteered as a candy striper at Richmond Memorial Hospital on Staten Island.
“I can still picture the day she came home in that red-and-white striped uniform,” Marguerite said. “She was so proud of herself.”
The Rivas siblings, Richard, Jayne, Robert, Vincent, Marguerite and Eugene, at their childhood home in Huguenot. (Courtesy of Jayme Rivas)Jayme Rivas
Her commitment deepened in high school when she became a “Vincent Teen” at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan, commuting from Huguenot by train to work overnight shifts — an unusual responsibility for someone so young.
“She would go to the city by herself — train, bus, subway — and work overnight,” her sister said.
After graduating from St. Louis Academy and St. Peter’s Girls High School, Jayne was offered a full scholarship to St. Vincent’s School of Nursing, a remarkable achievement that promised a path into healthcare.
“She had accepted the nursing scholarship, and my father was thrilled — six kids, one less tuition,” recalled Marguerite. “But my mother said, ‘No, I think you need to go to college.’”
That pivotal moment altered the course of her life. Following her mother’s advice, Jayne chose a broader academic path and enrolled at SUNY Plattsburgh.
The academic journey that started it all
At Plattsburgh, Jayne’s reputation quickly preceded her. Classmates nicknamed her “Jayne the Brain,” a testament to both her intellect and her work ethic.
“She was the smartest person I ever met,” said Marguerite. “But she was so humble about it. She would never be stuck up over it. She was just so good, and she was so sweet to everyone.”
Majoring in chemistry, she initially imagined a future in nursing, but a chemistry professor, Stuart Baum, saw in her the potential for something more.
“Her chemistry professor asked her, ‘Why don’t you be a doctor?’” shared Jayne’s daughter, Jayme. “She said, ‘I don’t know if I’m smart enough to be a doctor.’ And he said, ‘Of course you are,’ and really mentored and encouraged her.”
Baum became an important influence. While still an undergraduate, Jayne wrote an entire chapter of his organic chemistry textbook — an extraordinary accomplishment for a college student — and was later acknowledged in subsequent editions.
“He’s the one who put it in her head to be a doctor,” Marguerite said.
Jayne graduated from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in 1973. (Courtey of Jayme Rivas)Jayme Rivas
Plattsburgh also shaped her life in another profound way. It was there that Jayne met her husband, Ray Robertson, a U.S. Marine who returned home after his service in Vietnam.
“If she had stayed in New York City and gone to nursing school, she would never have met her husband,” said Marguerite. “That changed the trajectory of her life.”
The couple married in June 1973, shortly after she graduated from medical school, and settled in West Brighton, where they raised their family.
A life in Pediatrics
Jayne went on to earn her medical degree from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine and spent her entire career at hospitals founded by the Sisters of Charity of the Archdiocese of New York, including St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan and St. Vincent’s Hospital on Staten Island.
She began as a staff pediatrician and steadily rose through the ranks, earning the respect of colleagues and patients alike. She eventually served as medical director at The New York Foundling Hospital and later as chairperson of pediatrics and director of the residency training program at St. Vincent’s in Manhattan. She also served on hospital ethics boards and was a faculty member at New York Medical College.
“She worked overnights in that hospital as a teenager,” Marguerite said. “And in that same hospital, she would one day become the chairperson of pediatrics. That just shows our working-class roots.”
Board-certified in pediatrics and allergies, she ran an allergy clinic and treated countless children, including young asthmatic dancers in Manhattan. She also conducted community outreach and educational seminars on Staten Island.
Jayne served on the Staten Island Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, advocating for prevention and awareness. She later served as an expert witness in high-profile child abuse cases in New York City, lending her voice to those who could not speak for themselves.
“She took care of so many people in her life, even when she wasn’t on the job,” Marguerite said.
Over the years, she published several medical journal articles and was honored as a SUNY distinguished alumna. Yet accolades never changed her. To her family, she remained generous and grounded.
Dr. Jayne Rivas with her husband, Ray, and their children, Mark, Jayme, Andrew and Luke at their home in West Brighton. (Courtesy of Jayme Rivas)Jayme RivasService beyond the hospital
While her professional accomplishments were significant, her family says her greatest impact was felt in more personal ways.
Her dedication to children and families did not end when she left the hospital. In fact, some of her most meaningful contributions unfolded in community spaces, church choirs and wooded trails across Staten Island.
“She just always liked helping the community,” said Jayme.
For a decade, Jayne gave up a week of her vacation to volunteer as the medical director at Birch Family Camp, a residential camp serving families living with HIV/AIDS.
Music, too, was another passion threaded through every stage of her life.
As a young woman, she sang in St. Peter’s Glee Club and contributed writing to SUNY Plattsburgh’s literary magazine.
Years later, as her medical career took shape, she found new ways to blend artistry with service. Jayne performed with the St. Vincent’s Players, a group of doctors and nurses who staged musical theater productions to raise funds for hospital causes.
Her faith community remained another constant. At Sacred Heart Church, she sang in the choir for many years, forming deep friendships through liturgical music.
Beyond the church doors, she found a similar peace outdoors. Her love of nature — rooted in her Huguenot childhood — never faded. On weekends, she could often be found hiking Staten Island’s Greenbelt or volunteering with the Protectors of Pine Oak Woods, participating in cleanups and conservation efforts.
One tradition in particular stands out to her daughter.
“Every year for a bunch of years we would go on this 10-mile hike through the Greenbelt,” shared Jayme. “It was usually in the winter, sometimes freezing, sometimes snowing or raining. It was this big adventure, and at the end it always felt like such a huge accomplishment that we had hiked 10 miles together.”
The annual trek became an all-day affair and a cherished memory.
“That was something that I always looked forward to,” added Jayme.
Jayme enjoyed spending time in nature with her family. (Courtesy of Jayme Rivas)Jayme RivasA lasting legacy
At her funeral, the family heard stories that affirmed what they had long known.
“People told us she saved their lives,” Marguerite said. “It’s amazing this young girl from Huguenot, from a working family of six kids, who went to public university — SUNY Plattsburgh, Downstate Medical College — [had] accomplished all that.”
In 2015, Jayne retired to Benson, Vermont, where she had spent summers with her family for years. What began as a tiny two-bedroom cabin eventually grew into the home where she and her husband retired.
Though she left Staten Island in retirement, her ties to the borough remained strong, and she carried with her the values instilled during her Huguenot childhood: faith, service, resilience and a deep appreciation for the natural world.
Jayne was predeceased by her husband, Ray Robertson, and her son, Andrew Robertson. She is survived by her daughter, Jayme Rivas Robertson, and her sons, Luke and Mark Robertson. Her brothers, Robert Rivas, Richard Rivas, Eugene Rivas, and Vincent Rivas; her sister, Marguerite Rivas; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.