Albie Hornblass
by David Reifler
My mentor, Albie Hornblass, is well remembered by many senior Society members as an ASOPRS past president, skillful surgeon, preceptor, author and textbook editor, decorated military veteran, volunteer leader, philanthropist, and beloved family man. Many details of Albie’s life and his several awards are to be found in the ASOPRS 50th Anniversary Book. I learned of Albie’s passing on January 17, 2007, while at work at a local Grand Rapids hospital. I remember pausing to say a traditional blessing acknowledging God as the Judge of Truth, just as Albie would have said it of another. I then returned to the operating room to lead a surgical team and employ techniques that I had learned by his side. What better tribute than to practice what I had been taught by a mensch who was a giant in our field and an exemplar of living an ethical and loving life of service? Among his military decorations, Albie had earned a Bronze Star as Chief of Ophthalmology at the Pleiku Evacuation Hospital in South Vietnam, but he was most fond of remembering his humanitarian service to Montagnard Highlanders.
My year in New York City with Albie was probably the most consequential year of my training. It was also of great importance in shaping my world view and my personal aspirations of continued self-improvement and service. In Albie’s memory, I have continued to support one of his favorite charities, the Keren-Or Jerusalem Center for Blind Children with Multiple Disabilities, whose board he led for many years. With neuro-ophthalmologist Ron Burde, Albie also co-organized the American Israeli Ophthalmological Society, which eventually outgrew its raison d’être as the resources and technological innovations of Israeli ophthalmology advanced to world-class levels. Over many years, I have likewise found meaningful involvement with other non-profit organizations, including pro bono work here and abroad. In retrospect, wittingly or unwittingly, I have attempted to emulate Albie’s finer qualities. I had apparently followed an ancient Jewish precept to “make for yourself a rav” (i.e., a mentor).
Albie approached life seriously but with a sense of humor. His intense concentration on detail was imbued with a relaxed, Zen-like stoicism. During my fellowship, I sometimes felt the pressure of Albie’s high expectations. When I experienced some additional financial stresses at the mid-point of my fellowship, he carried me through that thankfully brief time. In great measure, he personally showed me the kindness and compassion that he quite naturally showed to patients and co-workers. Albie was good with people, whether one-on-one, in groups of all sizes, or in the service of broad causes and ideals. He had a profound sense of duty and leadership that came to him naturally.
The lyrics of “New York, New York” maintain that if you can succeed in a tough city like NYC, you can succeed anywhere. Albie Hornblass succeeded in New York City and beyond, and he succeeded in the most meaningful of ways. His good works will continue to reverberate for many generations.
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