1950s
Max R. Gwaltney, 91, BS/MS’56, of Port St. Lucie, FL, died in 2024.
Jack F. Moore, 89, BS’57, MS’58, of Dallas, TX, died in 2024.
1960s
Richard L. Carman, 88, BS’61, MS’62, of Winona Lake, IN, died on June 5, 2023. He was an optometrist for 40 years as owner of Dr. Richard L Carman Optometrist, Inc. He retired in 2002. Dr. Carmen was a 60-year member of the American Optometric Association.
A 60-year member of the Illinois Optometric Association, David W. Miller, 83, BS’63, MS’64, of Decatur, IL, died on Aug. 28, 2024. He had a successful optometry career in Decatur for 57 years.
Vigo H. Nielsen, 85, MS’68, of Charlottesville, VA, died in 2024. He was a recipient of the American Optometric Association’s William C. Ezell Fellowship. Dr. Nielsen served for several years on the consulting board of the Indian Optician journal.
Richard D. Septon, 90, MS’69, of Forest Grove, OR, died on July 23, 2024. Dr. Septon served as a professor of optometry at Pacific University for 37 years, until he retired in 1997. He was a member of the American Optometric Association.
Dean A. Wright, 80, BS’67, OD’69, of Alexandria, VA, died on March 9, 2023. He was drafted to the Army in 1969 and served one tour in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971 as an optometrist in the Medical Service Corps. While serving in Vietnam, Dr. Wright earned a Bronze Star for meritorious achievement in ground operations against hostile forces. When he returned home, he was stationed at Fort Myer in Arlington, VA. He later opened his private optometry practice in Fairfax, VA, where he practiced for more than 40 years.
1970s
Robert “Bob” Sartoris, 78, BS’70, OD’72, of Surprise, AZ, died on Nov. 30, 2024. He established optometric practices in both St. Cloud and Cold Spring, MN. Dr. Sartoris practiced optometry for 44 years before retiring in 2016.
Donald E. Robbins, 78, BS’69, OD’71, of Shelbyville, IN, died on Nov. 15, 2024. He was in private practice for 46 ½ years, beginning his career of general optometry in Shelbyville. Dr. Robbins participated in school vision screening since 1974. He was also a very active member of the Indiana Optometric Association (IOA) where he served as Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President, President-Elect, President, and on numerous committees. The IOA recognized all his accomplishments with the Meritorious Service Award in 1979 and 1987, Distinguished Service to Optometry Award in 1995, Indiana Optometrist of the Year in 1990, and the Legislative Service Award 1991.
Denis J. McCormack, 76, OD’74, of Warsaw, IN, died on Oct. 25, 2024. Dr. McCormack began his career under Dr. Paul Grossnickle before establishing The Spectacle Shoppe, a family-owned and operated business that continues to serve Warsaw and the surrounding communities.
Steven P. Bennett, 80, OD’76, of Fort Wayne, IN, died on Dec. 25, 2024. He owned Dupont Vision Center, Decatur Vision Center, and previously had an office in New Haven, IN.
1980s
Richard L. Brown, 69, OD’84, of Grand Island, NE, died on Aug. 1, 2024. After graduating from the IU School of Optometry, his family settled in Grand Island where he purchased the optometric practice of Dr. K.J. Walker. He operated a solo practice for 5 years and then merged with Dr. Gary Pedersen and Dr. William Grange to form Eye Care Professionals and Grand Island Optical. He also ran satellite offices in Loup City and Ravenna, NE. Dr. Brown practiced optometry in the Grand Island area for 29 years before he retired in 2013. He was a member of the Nebraska Optometric Association.
Mark W. Roark, 65, BS’82, OD’84, of Indianapolis, died on June 25, 2024. He began his career in Berne, IN, before moving to Indianapolis. Dr. Roark saw patients at MetroHealth for 12 years before moving into private practice. In 2003, he opened his own practice, Allisonville Eye Care Center, where he provided excellent patient care until his health declined at the end of 2022. Dr. Roark was passionate about all aspects of eye care, especially how nutrition relates to eye health. He wrote 19 professional publications and lectured often, including twice at Cambridge University in England. Dr. Roark was a member of the American Optometric Association and the Indiana Optometric Association for 29 years and was proud to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry since 2012. In 2024, the Indiana Optometric Association presented him with a Meritorious Service Award for his service to the community and profession. Dr. Roark enjoyed providing eye care to those in need in Bolivia, Honduras, Jamaica, Haiti, and Dominica.
Brad L. Backhaus, 65, BS’84, OD’86, of Willmar, MN, died on Dec. 17, 2024. After graduating from the IU School of Optometry, Dr. Backhaus and his wife returned to Minnesota where Brad began practicing optometry. In 1987, they moved to Willmar, where he worked at Pearle Vision. After six months, Dr. Backhaus purchased the franchise. He continued practicing optometry in Willmar until his retirement in 2022.
1990s
Kristina L. Morris, 60, OD’93, of Bloomington, IN, died on Sept. 26, 2024. She practiced optometry in Bloomington for 33 years with Morris Family Eye Care. Dr. Morris started and owned Sight Savers International Non-Profit, which provided funds to support needy families in both the United States and Guatemala. She had a passion and heart for the poor and the young, which led her to take yearly mission trips for 12 years to Guatemala with students from the Illinois College of Optometry.
2000s
John D. McKenna II, 50, OD’01, of Indianapolis, Indiana, died on Aug. 21, 2024. In 2005, he purchased an optometry practice in Indianapolis and renamed it McKenna Family Eye. Dr. McKenna proudly served his community until he closed his practice.
2010s
Jennifer L. Hill, 42, OD’10, of Daytona Beach, FL, died on Feb. 2, 2025.
IUSO Faculty and Staff
Ritsuko Noda, 89, of St. Louis, MO, died on Dec. 25, 2024. She worked at the IU School of Optometry as a supplies coordinator for more than 15 years, leaving in 2007.
Joel A. Papay, 38, PhD’22, of Bloomington, IN, died on Dec. 4, 2024. As a graduate student, he won the Associate Instructor of the Year award and supervised numerous OD students doing research. After graduation, he continued to be employed on special projects at IUSO in Distinguished Professor Ann Elsner’s lab. He was employed on NIH grants as a Research Associate and then a Software Engineer at Aeon Imaging, LLC. He was a co-author on 13 published articles.
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