Richard Ament, 79, clinical professor of anesthesiology

A memorial service will be held April 19 at 2 p.m. in Temple Beth Zion for Richard Ament, an internationally prominent anesthesiologist who was a clinical professor of anesthesiology and vice chairman for educational affairs for the anesthesiology resident program at UB. Ament, 79, died March 19 while visiting relatives in Evanston, Ill.

Ament, who earned his bachelorŐs and medical degrees from UB, was a captain in the medical corps of the U.S. Army Air Force from 1943-46.

During his long career as an anesthesiologist at Buffalo General Hospital and ChildrenŐs Hospital, Ament introduced new anesthesia techniques and developed the anesthesia resident program at Buffalo General Hospital.

The author of numerous publications, Ament was an expert in the development of academic anesthesiology in the United States, becoming involved in recent years with the Wood Library Museum of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in Chicago.

In 1986, he received the Distinguished Service Award, the most prestigious award of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, which he had served as president in 1977. Ament also was honored with the deanŐs award for outstanding service from the UB medical school in 1986, and in 1996, he received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the UB Alumni Association.

A member of many medical organizations, Ament was president of the New York Society of Anesthesiologists in 1967, a governor of the American College of Anesthesiologists from 1975-77 and treasurer of the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists from 1984-1992. He served as a certification examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology for 25 years.