Barry Josef Zacherle
February 21, 2026
Doctor Barry Josef Zacherle died on February 21, 2026, at his home surrounded by family after a battle with interstitial lung disease.
Born in 1940 in Des Moines, Iowa, Barry earned both his BA and MD from the University of Iowa. He later completed his medical training at Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine, where he trained in internal medicine and nephrology. He also served with the United States Public Health Service Hospital in San Francisco in its nephrology program.
Barry dedicated his career to nephrology and internal medicine. After working with a nephrology group associated with the clinical faculty at UCSF, he moved to Napa, California, in 1977 and built a successful solo nephrology and internal medicine practice that he led for nearly a decade.
In 1986, Barry moved to Hawaii and joined the Kaiser Medical Program as its only nephrologist at the time. Through his leadership and dedication, the nephrology division steadily expanded during his tenure until his retirement in 2003.
Colleagues, patients, and friends admired Barry for his intelligence, compassion, and commitment to patient care. He devoted his life to medicine while also mentoring others in the field of nephrology.
Outside of medicine, Barry enjoyed travel, art, watercolor painting, printmaking, canoe racing, kayaking, and time with family and friends. He especially loved outdoor adventure and participating in open ocean events in Hawaii.
In 2004, Barry returned to California, where he continued pursuing his artistic interests and remained close to family and friends.
Barry is survived by his loving wife, children, grandchildren, extended family, and many close friends and colleagues.
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