IN MEMORIAM

The Retina Hall of Fame is deeply saddened to learn that another true giant of retina, and one of our Retina Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, Kirk H. Packo, MD, FACS, FASRS, has left us. Kirk was an internationally acclaimed surgeon, an innovative thought leader, and an unrelenting educator, researcher, and inventor.

He was the Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Ophthalmology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and one of the most sought-after lecturers in retina, having delivered over a thousand presentations in 20 countries. He held leadership roles in numerous national and international societies and organizations, notably the Vitreous Society, which, during Kirk’s tenure, became the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) and is now the largest retina society in the world. He served as a board member for many years, and as President from 2000-2002. He was the inaugural recipient of the Packo Service Award in 2019, which the ASRS established in Kirk’s honor.

Kirk was the quintessential teacher, trained many retina fellows, and earned several education awards. He was a prolific writer, writing articles which appeared in numerous specialty journals, as well as book chapters and abstracts. He was also an amazing graphic designer and film maker, producing some of the most amazing, intricate, retina-inspired movie posters, as well as over 20 award-winning medical films. 

Kirk was recognized as one of the premier retina specialists in the world, and received several prestigious international awards for his innumerable contributions to the field of retina. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who has received as many awards as Kirk. What defined Kirk, however, as much as all of the accolades and awards, was that he was one of the most endearing and warm people you’d ever meet. Smart, witty, and so very funny. A dear friend to so many of us. As he would say: “friendship reminds us how great it is to have been on this earth. Friends are what life is really all about anyway. Having great friends always tops any type of award…”

Rest in paradise, dear friend.

Our thoughts are with Kirk’s family during this difficult time.

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”

(Posted September 4, 2023)

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Alice R. McPherson, MD, one of the true giants in the history of vitreoretinal disease and the first full-time woman vitreoretinal surgeon in the world. The Retina Hall of Fame was honored to bestow the first Retina Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award upon Dr. McPherson in 2017, for her extraordinary contributions to our field. 

Dr. McPherson earned her bachelor of science (1948) and medical degrees (1951) from the University of Wisconsin (UW). She completed a fellowship in retinal diseases and retinal surgery at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (1959). After serving as a clinical instructor in ophthalmology at UW, Dr. McPherson moved to Houston, Texas. There she established herself as one of the pioneers in the field. Along with her private practice, she founded the retina service at Baylor College of Medicine, where she taught for her entire career. She promoted several procedures that are now accepted as basic elements in retinal detachment surgery, and she contributed greatly to the understanding and treatment of diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity.

In 1969, Dr. McPherson founded The Retina Research Foundation (RRF) in Houston, dedicated to the eradication of retinal disease. She served as its president until her death. In 2002, her vision and support were critical in the establishment of the McPherson Eye Research Institute (MERI) at UW-Madison. She sat on the UW Foundation Board of Directors for 12 years; she was the founding president of the UW Ophthalmology Alumni Association; and she was responsible for establishing endowed chairs and lectureships at the University.

Dr. McPherson wrote more than 70 book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals, and she gave lectures and presentations all over the world. She served on the editorial boards of many journals and co-authored, with Dr. Daniel M. Albert, a history of the first 50 years of The Retina Research Foundation, which was published a few years ago.

Dr. McPherson's numerous honors include an honorary doctor of science degree in 1977 from UW-Madison, where she served as commencement speaker in 1995. She held countless offices, committee memberships, and honorary appointments, including multiple offices at UW, the office of vice-president and president of the Retina Society, and multiple offices in the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology. Dr. McPherson was a member of the Club Jules Gonin, and a charter member of the Retina Society and the ASRS (formerly the Vitreous Society). In addition to being a charter member of the Retina Hall of Fame, and the first recipient of the Retina Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award, she claimed further honors including being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine; receiving the Charles L. Schepens Honor Award, the Senior Honor Award, Distinguished Alumni Professional Achievement Award of Harvard Medical School, and the Guest of Honor award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology; the Gonin Medal and lectureship, and so many more. 

“And though she be but little, she is fierce” (Shakespeare) — Alice McPherson was a force to be reckoned with and among the very greatest to have ever served in the field of retina. She leaves a powerful legacy, one that will affect countless future generations of specialists as they try to follow in her enormous footsteps.

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”

(Jan. 2023)

This past Friday, October 21, 2022, we learned with great sadness of the passing of Michael T. Trese, MD, one of our 2021/2022 Retina Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award honorees, and a true giant of retina.

Widely considered the father of modern pediatric vitreoretinal surgery, he revolutionized pediatric vitreoretinal surgery with the concept of lens sparing vitrectomy in the late 1980s. His techniques are performed worldwide and have preserved and restored sight in thousands of children. 

As colleagues, friends, and those who have had the privilege of working and training with him, we know that Mike not only had the greatest expertise and most masterful skills when it came to difficult retinal diseases, he was also the most empathetic, kind, and compassionate doctor, beloved by his patients, and their families. He was passionate about his work, and he brought that passion along to every OR, every meeting, and every encounter. That passion, and his unmatched sense of humor, made every day that had a little bit of Mike Trese sprinkled in that much better for anyone he came in contact with. His legacy will live on forever. May he rest in peace.

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”

(Oct. 2022)