21 minute read
In Memoriam
WITH SORROW, THE UNIVERSITY NOTES THE PASSING OF
1930s
Maurice R. Sternberg,
OD ’38, passed away on June 13, 2019.
1940s
E. Robert Libby, OD ’43, passed away on February 19, 2019.
Richard M. Goldrosen,
OD ’48, passed away on December 8, 2019, at age 91. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he lived in Somerset for the past 15 years. Dr. Goldrosen maintained an optometry practice in Elizabeth starting in 1952. For more than 60 years he was an active member of the Elizabeth Port Lions Club and the Westfield Lions Club. He was also an active member of the men’s clubs of Temple Israel and Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael. He is survived by his son, Neil (Melissa) of Bridgewater; his daughter, Bari-Kim Goldrosen of Somerset; two grandchildren; and a first cousin, Eugene Tendler.
Milton Schiffman, OD ’49, passed away on February 10, 2019.
Gilda Coppola Crozier, OD ’43, FAAO (1921-2020)
Gilda Coppola Crozier, OD ’43,
FAAO, a trailblazer, innovator and teacher extraordinaire at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), passed away Friday, Oct. 9, 2020, at the age of 99.
Dr. Crozier, wife of George H. Crozier, OD ’49 — who she met at PCO and taught upon his return from military service and who would later become associate dean of Academic Affairs and leave a lasting mark on PCO — began her academic career as a clinical instructor at the College before joining the faculty in the field of anatomy in 1945. Her father-in-law was John E. Crozier, OD, FAAO, a founding member of PCO. Her brother-in-law was John J. Crozier, OD ’48, FAAO, former vice president and dean of Student Affairs.
Over the years, she taught ocular anatomy, micro anatomy, neuroanatomy and vertebrate embryology. Dr. Crozier developed and introduced a number of courses, including normal and abnormal development of the eye and ocular biology. Along with Dr. Onofrey “Rybie” Rybochok and Harold Simmerman, OD ’30, FAAO, Dr. Crozier was also responsible for changing the curriculum and introducing neuroanatomy at PCO, which continued thanks in part of the work of Lorraine Lombardi, PhD, professor emerita.
“For those of us who had the privilege of being one of Dr. Crozier’s students, we will remember her as being incredibly intelligent, appropriately demanding, innovative, kind and very approachable,” said Salus president Michael H. Mittelman, OD ’80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE. “She, along with her husband Dr. George Crozier and his brother Dr. John Crozier, formed the backbone that helped to propel PCO to the forefront of optometric education.”
Dr. Mittelman wasn’t the only future University president that Dr. Crozier taught. When Thomas L. Lewis, OD ’70, PhD, FAAO, arrived at PCO in 1966, both George and Gilda Crozier were among his teachers. “She taught in a way that didn’t make you feel intimidated. She was very caring and understanding, yet at the same time, she demanded that you learn the material,” said Dr. Lewis, who would go on to be president of PCO and later Salus University from 1989 to 2013 and who is now president emeritus. When Dr. Lewis returned to PCO in 1975 after graduation, he became department chair and worked closely with Dr. Crozier. Dr. Lewis and his wife Harriet became close friends of George and Gilda Crozier and the couples sometimes vacationed together. “She was almost like a second mother to me. And, George was maybe my closest friend at the time he passed away (in 1988),” said Dr. Lewis. “Gilda was just a special person. They often called her ’Saint Gilda’ because she was so kind and considerate to everybody. I never met anybody who would have a bad thing to say about her.”
The family is asking for contributions to be made to the Crozier Memorial Scholarship Fund at Salus University.
READ MORE AT SALUS.EDU/GILDACROZIER
Irving Bennett, OD ’44, DSC (Hon.) ’87,
FAAO, passed away on Sept. 7, 2020, at age 97.
Born on June 11, 1923 in Port Henry, New York, he grew up in Mineville in Upstate New York, and was the youngest of four children. Although his family was poor, his father taught him the importance of philanthropy, something he continued to practice his entire life and of which he was most proud.
After graduating from PCO in 1944, he served as an optometrist in the Army Air Forces Medical Corps, ultimately moving to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania to open his optometric practice in 1946 and continuing for 45 years. He became involved in local politics early on, running for and winning a seat on the Beaver Falls School Board in 1948. He served on the board for 17 years, mostly as president. During that time he recruited the first African American teacher. In the mid-1950s, as president of the Beaver Falls Recreation Commission, he oversaw the Commission’s purchase of the previously privately owned and “whites only” Morado Pool and forced its integration. He was president of the United Jewish Community for several years, overseeing the fundraising for and construction of the Jewish Community Center. He was the first to import Varilux progressive lenses to the United States and, at one point, more of his patients wore Varilux lenses than in the entire rest of the country. Dr. Bennett was heavily involved in optometric society leadership. He served on many committees and received state and national awards too numerous to list but including the American Optometric Association (AOA) National Optometrist of the Year (1972), AOA National Distinguished Award (1997), Review of Optometry’s Optometrist of the Decade for Practice Management (2000) and was inducted into the National Optometric Hall of Fame (2004). He was an avid writer and lecturer on business management of optometric practices and was the editor of optometric magazines including the AOA Journal and Optometric Management. As the founder and president of Advisory Enterprises, he was the publisher of Optometric Management and Ophthalmology Management, among others. He was the founder of Optifair, the first national ophthalmic trade show and precursor to Vision Expo. He served as a consultant to the optical industry serving both national and international clients. In order to promote business acumen in optometric students, he contributed to and aided in the formation of the Bennett Career Services Center at Salus University.
As the first optometrist in his family, he started an optometric dynasty. His brother, Milton, who was the one who pushed him into the field, followed suit shortly thereafter. Next was his son, Donald, who went on to become an ophthalmologist in Louisville, Kentucky, and practiced ophthalmology the way Dr. Bennett felt it should be practiced, doing only secondary and tertiary care and no primary care. His daughter, Linda, was next, beginning to practice in Belmont, Massachusetts. This was the impetus for a series of articles in Optometric Management that Dr. Bennett penned on practice management titled, “Dear Linda.” The most recent legacy into the optometric field is Linda’s daughter, Rebecca, who joined her mother in practice in 2008.
Dr. Bennett spent many winters and, ultimately his retirement, in Sarasota, Florida where he remained active attending the arts and served on many organized optometric and local committees. A resident of Pelican Cove for many years, he developed a Cultural Concerts Series, designed and moderated many courses at Pelican Cove University and wrote a 100+ page History of Pelican Cove book. Later, at The Glenridge retirement facility, he served on more committees and wrote the “Be Well” newsletter with health advice which he continued doing until just recently.
He met his wife Trude while attending college and the two were married while he served in the army. The couple celebrated 75 years of marriage in July, 2020. Dr. Bennett is survived by his wife; his two children, Linda Bennett, OD, and Donald Bennett, OD, MD; four grandchildren, Courtnee Bennett, Rebecca Bennett Maida, OD, Joslyn Overby and Beth Huey; and five great-grandchildren.
Please consider making a gift in his memory at salus.edu/giveonline, and all proceeds will benefit PCO students.
READ MORE AT SALUS.EDU/IRVINGBENNETT
1950s
Ronald J. Hagadus,
MD, ’52, passed away on February 1, 2020 at age 92. Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Dr. Hagadus graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, PCO, and received his Doctor of Medicine from the Universidad Autónoma de México in Mexico City. He completed his Internship at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut and his Residency in Ophthalmology at Grasslands Hospital, now Westchester Medical Center in New York. Dr. Hagadus was an ophthalmologist at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and at the Westchester Medical Center, and an associate professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at the New York Medical College, appointed professor emeritus. He was the recipient of the “President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching and Dedicated Service” from the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and an Honorary Member of the Society of Ophthalmology of Poland, a recognition he received for his outstanding contributions to the Advancement of Polish Children with Glaucoma. He had ophthalmology practices in Bedford Hills and New Rochelle, New York. Dr. Hagadus served his country in World War II in Korea as a staff sergeant. He also served on the town of Bedford Recreation and Parks Advisory Board, and more recently on the Bedford Veterans Advisory Committee. He was a former trustee of the Kosciuszko Foundation of New York. He was an avid tennis player, playing and winning many local tournaments. Dr. Hagadus was predeceased by his son James Matthew Hagadus, MD in 1985, and his wife, Maria in 2014. He is survived by his daughters Francesca Hagadus-McHale (William) of Pleasantville New York, and Claudia Hagadus Long (Clyde) of LaFayette, California; four grandchildren; and a great-grandson.
Cranston A. Briggs, OD ’54, passed away on October 18, 2018, at the age of 88. Husband to Mildred (Bean), they were married October 19, 1957. Following his graduation from the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry (PSCO), he served in the U.S. Army on active duty as an optometrist from 1954 through 1957 and on active Army Reserve through 1966. He started his optometric practice in Farmington, Maine, but returned to Danielson, Connecticut in 1960. He was an optometrist in private practice in Danielson for 49 years. For almost 20 years, he and his wife enjoyed Western Square Dance, and, for many of those years, he served as a square dance caller for several clubs, as well as at the Brooklyn Senior Center and for the Holy Spirit Sisters of Putnam. Throughout his life, he enjoyed spending time at Alexander Lake in Connecticut. He had long affiliations with the United Methodist Church of Danielson, the Masons and the Grange. He was a member of the Killingly Housing Authority during the construction of the original Maple Courts project. Besides his wife, Mildred, he leaves his children, Barbara Briggs (Sebastian) Scripps of New Canaan, Connecticut, and Kenneth of Dayville, Connecticut; three grandchildren and one great-grandson. He was pre-deceased by his first wife, Joanne Jean Yeaton, and their son, David.
James D. Furnary, OD ’55,
MD, passed away on September 27, 2019, at the age of 87. He was a member of St. Joseph’s Parish in Fremont, California. Dr. Furnary was a graduate of Temple University Medical School. He practiced general medicine for 10 years before returning to school to specialize in ophthalmology where he practiced in Fremont for 24 years. He was happiest when spending time with family, playing his beloved piano, gardening and cooking. He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Marjorie (Schwab) of Fremont; daughters Laurel Lefler of San Jose, California, and Gina Burchfield of Pleasanton, California; sons Michael of Brentwood, California, and James Wright of Garden Grove, California; sister Carol Augustus of Elk Grove, California; and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Dr. S. Donald Furnary and Dr. Joseph Furnary.
Berton Zaslow, OD ’56, passed away April 25, 2020, at the age of 90. He was an optometrist in Philadelphia for more than 40 years. Dr. Zaslow loved music and sang in Beth Sholom’s men’s choir. He was a firm believer in education and charitable giving.
Bernard M. Kauderer,
OD ’57, passed away on April 4, 2020. Following his PSCO graduation, he served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force. After military service, he practiced optometry in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, for nearly 60 years. He had a great love for his profession, he always enjoyed learning, and in recent years he took great pleasure in attending Salus University’s Grand Rounds on Friday mornings. He only stopped practicing, at 85, a few weeks before he died.
Robert J. Scholes, OD ’57, passed away on February 4, 2020 at the age of 90. Dr. Scholes graduated from Mahanoy City High School, Pennsylvania, in 1947, attended Penn State and graduated from PCO in 1957. He met his wife, Christiane Hazen, while he was a student in Philadelphia. Robert served in the U.S. Army after high school and again, between college years, during the Korean War. He ran a solo optometry practice in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, for 50 years until he was eventually joined by his daughter-in-law, Lisa M. Scholes, OD ’93. Dr. Scholes was a member of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church and a long-time member of the Lebanon Kiwanis Club. He served as past president for both the Lebanon Jaycees and the Central Pennsylvania Optometric Society. He is survived by his wife,
Christiane; three children: John (Mary Jo) of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania; Cass (Linda) of Newark, Delaware; and James (Lisa) of Lititz, Pennsylvania; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his teenage son, Gregory; and two sisters, Margaret Schwartz and Faye Pearson.
1960s
Sheldon I. Keyser, OD ’61, passed away on September 12, 2019.
Marta De La Fuente, OD ’68, passed away on July 25, 2018 at the age of 93.
Richard W. Kent, OD ’69, passed away on September 4, 2018, following a long illness. Dr. Kent was raised in New York City and received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University before attending PCO. He operated an independent optometry practice in Suffern, New York, and was the longtime resident optometrist for Sears Optical in Middletown, New York. Dr. Kent was an avid lover of the arts and classical music, as well as an artist himself. A frequent visitor to symphony halls and art galleries, he loved Lincoln Center, and after moving to Guilderland, New York, he enjoyed spending time at the Clark Museum. He was a prolific cartographer, poet, and painter, and had his works displayed in a special exhibition at the Harness Racing Hall of Fame. Dr. Kent enjoyed traveling to Europe and on cruises, and as an adult, taught himself Spanish and was reacquainting himself with the flute before his illness. He is remembered by his sister, Barbara Greenman and her children and grandchildren; his half-sister Randi Bethel and her husband; his son (Aaron) and wife (Siobhan); his son (Asher) and wife (Kirsten); and his son (Jordan), his fiancée (Gretchen) and their sons.
Paul H. Robinson, OD ’69, passed away on June 22, 2020 at the age of 75. He was a respected optometrist in Cinnaminson, New Jersey and taught at PCO for 41 years. He attended the former Fellowship Church of Philadelphia and later Cinnaminson Baptist Church. His greatest joys in life were his family, playing with his grandchildren, music, sharing his riverfront cabin in Elkton, Maryland, traveling, and his golden retriever, Casey. Dr. Robinson is survived by his wife of 48 years, Cheryl (Winterberg); sister Grace (Charles) Chapman; his sons, Daniel Paul (Janmarie) of Buffalo, New York; David William (Carly Dennis) of Rochester, New York; daughter, Elizabeth Robinson (Joseph) Steele of Clearwater, Florida; and five grandchildren.
1970s
Armando J. Coro, OD ’70, passed away on April 30, 2020. Richard J. Shuster, OD ’72, passed away at home on February 27, 2019. He graduated from Atlantic City High School in 1964 and completed his undergraduate work at Temple University and Monmouth University. After graduating from PCO in 1972, Dr. Shuster became a prominent eye doctor in New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, and Georgia. In 1993, he was awarded and acknowledged as The New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians (NJSOP) Physician of the Year as well as the PCO’s Alumni Association Albert Fitch Alumnus of the Year. He was also a member of the NJSO and the Georgia Optometric Association. He flourished as a private practitioner until he sold his practice and retired one year ago. He enjoyed an active lifestyle as an avid sailor, swimmer, reader, and lover of technology and always got a kick out of making people laugh with his dry sense of humor. He is survived by his brother, Dr. Kenneth A. Shuster (Adrienne) of Margate, New Jersey; and his niece, Alexandra Shuster of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Margate, New Jersey.
Ian N. Field, OD ’75, passed away on August 3, 2018.
Preston L. Lowe, OD ’78, passed away on June 7, 2020 after a long illness. He graduated from Arlington High School, New York, and Oswego State University. He attended PCO and worked as an optometrist in Utica, New York, before opening his own practice in Watertown, New York, in 1985. On May 9, 1981, he married the former Susan Lodge, in Newport, New York. The two owned and operated Apple Optical in Watertown for 30 years, retiring in 2015. He was a member of the American Optometric Association. Dr. Lowe belonged to the Sigma Gamma fraternity while attending Oswego State University. He was a past member of the Clayton Lions Club, the Watertown Rotary Club, the Town of Clayton Planning Board, and the Thousand Islands Museum Board. His passion was decoys; carving, painting and collecting them. He was a member of the 1000 Islands Decoy Collectors Association and contributing writer to Decoy Magazine. Dr. Lowe enjoyed gardening, especially growing many varieties of day lilies. He loved the St. Lawrence River and Black Lake and enjoyed boating, canoeing, fishing, and duck hunting. Surviving besides his wife Susan, is his mother Dorothy (Dee) of Clayton, New York; daughter, Erin Teal (Dwayne) Lipinski of Massachusetts; two grandchildren; and two brothers.
Stephen E. Streitfeld,
OD ’78, passed away on February 3, 2020 at the age of 68. Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, he was a lifelong resident of Hammonton and a graduate of Hammonton High School Class of 1969. Dr. Streitfeld graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and in 1978 from PCO. He practiced optometry in Hammonton
with his dad, Leonard, for 35 years at Streitfeld Eye Associates before joining the Visionworks team in Mays Landing, where he continued to practice until August 2019. For 40 years, he was an active member of the Hammonton Lions Club, holding many offices and receiving a number of distinguished awards for his service. He was predeceased by his parents, Dr. Leonard and Mary Streitfeld. He is survived by his wife, Andrea; two children, Bryan (Jennifer) and Lauren Wilson (Jon); one brother, Rick; one sister, Linda Johnson (Stephen); and four grandchildren.
Sanford R. Cohen, OD ’79, of Columbia, Maryland passed away Monday, October 19, 2020. He was 67. Dr. Cohen is survived by his wife Jacalyn R. Ely, OD ’79; his children Danielle (Ryan) Moreland and Dr. Ariel Cohen; and his siblings Susan (Jack) Mitchell and David S. (Geri) Cohen. He was predeceased by his parents, Abraham Cohen and Marian Backer.
1980s
Norman P. Einhorn,
OD ’83, FAAO, passed away on June 6, 2020 at the age of 69. Dr. Einhorn graduated from Ocean Township High School, New Jersey, in 1968. He attended the University of Cincinnati, Stockton University, and Wagner College in Staten Island where he received a bachelor’s in Microbiology. He then graduated from PCO in 1983. He lived most of his life in Ocean Township, where he raised his family. Dr. Einhorn was not only supportive, caring and compassionate, he was also charismatic with a fantastic sense of humor. He worked passionately as an optometrist for 37 years with a special interest in Neuro-Optometry. He truly loved the optometric profession and never considered it a job but rather a passion. In addition, he was an active member of his community, his shul (Sons of Israel), and lent a voice and helping hand whenever needed. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Joy; daughters Elana Gorshein, OD ’10, and Danielle; three grandchildren; brother Dr. Arnie (Batel) Einhorn; and sister Marlene (Dr. Alan).
1990s
Philip George Toscano,
OD ’95, passed away May 20, 2020, at age 70 after a year-long battle with cancer. Dr. Toscano worked his professional life as an optometrist and retired after 15 years from LensCrafters. Though a resident of Daytona Beach for many years, Dr. Toscano was born in Vienna, Austria, May 15, 1950. At age 10, he immigrated with his parents to Philadelphia. He lived, studied and worked in many places including Miami and California. He holds degrees from the University of Miami and PCO. His was a life of giving and service — often done privately. For the community at large, he was involved in the LensCrafters charitable organization One Sight that provides free eye exams for the homeless. In addition, he provided clothing and meals. For fellow students, he tutored and lent explanations in a friendly one-on-one way. Ultimately, he gave his very self to be used for cancer research. Dr. Toscano is survived by his wife Jeanine (Lhulier); step-daughter Erin Jones and step-mother Millie. He was predeceased by parents Joseph and Christine; and step-son Dylan Jones.
2010s
Uduak C. Udom, OD,
MPH ’15, passed away on January 16, 2019. Dr. Udom was an iconic hero in the field of optometry where she made notable impact in her home country Nigeria and globally. She received a Bachelor of Science in 1978 and Doctor of Optometry degrees in 1998 from the University of Benin, Nigeria. She earned a Fellowship in the Faculty of Primary Care Optometry in 2006, Post-Graduate course in the College of Optometrists. The same year she obtained the Prestigious Fellowship of the American Academy of Optometry in 2006. Her quest for community health led her to obtain a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Salus University in 2015. She was the First President of the Women Optometrists in Nigeria (WON) 2000-2004 of which she was one of the founders in 1998 and contributed immensely to the prevention of avoidable blindness by making free optometric services available to the grassroots. Thereafter, she was elected the first Female National President of the Nigerian Optometry Association (NOA) 2006 -2008, which she held for two consecutive tenures.
TO READ MORE, GO TO SALUS.EDU/UDUAKUDOM
Board of Trustees
Madlyn K. Abramson, passed away on April 15, 2020, at the age of 84. Mrs. Abramson was a Salus University Board of Trustees member from 1985-1987. She and her husband established the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Scholarship at the University, available to Doctor of Optometry students, that affords preference to students residing in states having managed care organizations operated by Aetna/US Healthcare (currently Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas). In 1997, she and her husband made a $100 million gift to establish the Abramson Family Cancer
Research Institute in West Philadelphia. Its aim was to integrate cancer research, education, and patient care in a single site at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2002, the institute was renamed the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania in the couple’s honor. Today it is called Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center. She graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Penn. She married Leonard Abramson in August 195, who became the CEO of US Healthcare. She became a Penn trustee in 1997 and served on the board’s executive, external affairs, and student life committees. An overseer of Penn’s Graduate School of Education, she made a leadership pledge to provide scholarship support for masters and doctoral program candidates. In 2013, the Abramsons gave $10 million to Temple University’s dental school for the support of student scholarships. In return, the dental school was renamed after Abramson’s father, Maurice H. Kornberg, a dentist and alumnus. The couple established the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life, an assisted-living, skilled nursing, and gerontological research facility in Horsham. The first resident moved in in October 2001. The Abramson Hospice program to serve residents on the Horsham campus was added, then expanded to the community in 2008.
Harry Kaplan, OD ’49, FAAO, (1925-2020)
Harry Kaplan,
OD ’49, FAAO, passed away on May 4, 2020 due to complications associated with COVID-19, at the age of 95. In addition to teaching and owning his own practice in Philadelphia, from 1949 to his appointment as a faculty member in 1964, Dr. Kaplan was a visiting lecturer at PCO, and a special lecturer on contact lenses to PCO fourth-year students beginning in 1959. He was also a researcher and investigator for a number of corporations over the years and was active in raising funds to push through much needed legislation for optometry. A font of institutional historical knowledge and a source of wonderful stories, Dr. Kaplan was a staunch proponent of optometry, PCO and Salus University.
In 1985, Dr. Kaplan established a PCO fundraising event that continues today. The annual “I” Care Raffle — renamed to “Salus Cares Raffle” — which supports the University’s educational and clinical programs, including The Eye Institute (TEI), Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI) and Speech-Language Institute (SLI), allows Salus to provide necessary treatment to patients in need, while giving students essential educational experiences.
He was a former president of: Philadelphia County Optometric Society; Pennsylvania Optometric Association; PCO Alumni Association and Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Optometry. He received the Albert Fitch Alumnus of the Year Award in 1976, PCO President’s Medal at the College’s 75th anniversary celebration in 1995, and the Alumni Association’s Special Recognition Award in 2013. Dr. Kaplan also served on the PCO Board of Trustees from 1963-1964 and again from 1982-1983. In addition, as part of the University’s overall endowment, the Harry Kaplan Scholarship, awarded to optometry students on the basis of academic performance and financial need, was established in September 1999.
Dr. Kaplan, is survived by his wife Mae; four children, Mojave, Sandy, P’nina, and David Kaplan; three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
