Optometric community mourns loss of Rosenbloom

Issue: May 2015

Alfred A. Rosenbloom Jr., OD, FAAO, a Primary Care Optometry News Editorial Board member and pioneer of low vision care, died on April 7. He was 94.

Rosenbloom grew up in Pennsylvania, graduating from Penn State University, according to Tracy Matchinski, OD, in an announcement from the American Academy of Optometry. He served as a staff sergeant for a medical unit in the Army during World War II.

“It was there that he witnessed optometry in action,” Matchinski wrote. “He was inspired by the hard-working optometrists in his unit, resulting in his enrollment at the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) at the conclusion of his Army service.”

Rosenbloom, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at ICO in Chicago, served as its dean and then president for more than 25 years.

PCON Editorial Board member Jeff Anshel, OD, FAAO, who graduated from ICO in 1975, shared some memories with PCON:

“Dr. Rosenbloom took over as president at ICO during my first year, so he oversaw my entire educational experience there. Those were some tough times: mid-70s with the hippie movement and the Vietnam War. However, he was always the ‘voice of reason.’ It seemed that he never got too riled up over any issue and always came up with a sensible solution to many of the problems of the day.

Alfred A. Rosenbloom

“His gentleness was an inspiration to me (and I was pretty rowdy in my own way), and I learned much from him. He always had a smile on his face and a good word for all who met him.

“While I’ve only seen him a few times in the last several years, I always appreciated his efforts and his kind ways.”

At his death, Rosenbloom held the Donald Krumrey Chair in Low Vision at the Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired and he is one of the founders of its Low Vision Rehabilitation Service.

Matchinski noted that Rosenbloom met Helen Keller in 1955 at the dedication of the Chicago Lighthouse’s new building.

She also said that he established low vision clinics in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.

“One of his most generous and lasting achievements will be the Alfred and Sarah Rosenbloom Center on Vision and Aging at ICO,” Matchinski said. “The dedication of this unique center, [devoted] to the care of geriatric and visually impaired patients, was on Jan. 18. At this event, Dr. Rosenbloom gave a wonderful speech on the importance of this aspect of optometry.”

Rosenbloom remained an active member of the PCON Editorial Board into his last year of life. It was always a treat for me, as editor in chief of PCON, to chat with him for a few minutes whenever I encountered him navigating the hallways at an American Optometric Association annual meeting, which he attended well into his 80s.

He frequently telephoned the PCON editorial offices during his nearly 2-decade tenure on the editorial board to brainstorm with me on story ideas, tirelessly advocating the topic of vision and aging. He contributed numerous articles to PCON, the most recent of which was published in October 2014.

Rosenbloom became a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry in 1952. He was a diplomate in the Low Vision Section and was awarded the William Feinbloom Award in 1995 and the Carel C. Koch Memorial Medal in 1999. He was an avid supporter of the American Optometric Foundation, Matchinski wrote, chairing the Advisory Research Council, serving on its board of directors and establishing the Alfred A. Rosenbloom Fund.

Other honors include lifetime achievement awards from the Chicago Lighthouse and Prevent Blindness America, the Distinguished Service Award from the American Optometric Association and the Migel Medal from the American Foundation for the Blind.

“He served on numerous national boards dealing with optometry, public health and vision impairment/blindness, including his service as the optometric representative to the White House Conference on Aging in 1982,” Matchinski wrote. “A top achievement was the induction into the National Optometry Hall of Fame in 2010.”

Rosenbloom was a long-time member of VOSH-Illinois, participating in more than 20 international trips, many with his wife, Sarah, according to Matchinski. He served as president of VOSH International and was awarded its Humanitarian of the Year award in 2007.

Rosenbloom is survived by his wife of 66 years, Sarah; two children: Alfred A. Rosenbloom III, a professor of marketing and economics, and Susan Tobert, a special education teacher; and two grandchildren: Aaron and Jessie Tobert.

Condolences can be sent to the family at 910 N. Lake Shore Drive, #1819, Chicago, IL 60611. Memorials can be sent to the Alfred & Sarah Rosenbloom Center on Vision and Aging, Illinois College of Optometry, 3241 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. – by Nancy Hemphill, ELS, FAAO