Eyeworld

24 | EYEWORLD | DECEMBER 2020 ASCRS NEWS Through his efforts, he left this world a better place for so many," Dr. Cionni said. According to Dr. Cionni, Dr. Crandall was a man who didn't shy away from new experienc- es, whether they be surgical challenges or those outside of work. "Ride a poorly suited bike on a grueling mountain bike race, climb a mountain despite numerous joint and neck surgeries, forge a fast-moving river to get to a better fishing spot, he never hesitated to say 'Sure, let's do it,'" Dr. Cionni said. "Alan was a close friend. My family considered him a brother. We miss him terribly, but we are comforted knowing that he lived life as he wanted." 'Humble and approachable by all' Robert Osher, MD, said his friendship with Dr. Crandall began in the early 1980s as they were both on the original faculty of a video sympo- sium. "While he was the quiet one in the group, he was always the most experienced," Dr. Osher recalled. Dr. Osher described Dr. Crandall as a gifted surgeon who traveled the world sharing his expertise. "He was also a bona fide innovator, the glaucoma surgeon who first adopted small incision cataract surgery. And his support for his younger colleagues […] was truly inspiring," Dr. Osher said. Dr. Osher remembered Dr. Crandall as humble and approachable by all, staying long after courses they taught were done to answer attendees' questions. "Alan was warm, kind, selfless, and a man of total integrity. He was a consummate gen- tleman, an ambassador, and a man good to the core. I will miss teaching and laughing with Alan. I will miss his friendship, his smile, his grace. Ophthalmology has lost one of our most respected and treasured colleagues," Dr. Osher said. 'Opened my eyes to what we can accomplish' Iqbal "Ike" Ahmed, MD, remembered com- ing from a conservative, "fairly rote type" of residency to the opposite in fellowship with Dr. operate from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Then he would help the nurses clean up. "When everyone was finished and floors swept, he would break out the first of several Star beers," Dr. Tabin remembered. One trip to South Sudan was particularly difficult, but Dr. Crandall didn't see it that way. "We struggled with a failing generator, shortened fornixes, corneas clouded by tra- choma and climactic dystrophy, hypermature cataracts, pseudoexfoliation, and operating in shorts and scrub tops with no gown due to the heat. Biting insects swarmed […] and bats raced through the air, feasting on the flies," Dr. Tabin recalled. "That night, over rice, beans, and iodinated water, Alan said sincerely, 'That was the best day of surgery of my life. I have never seen so many difficult cases and people with such needs!'" According to Dr. Tabin, Dr. Crandall never passed on an opportunity to teach, to share, or experience everything in life. Some of these things included climbing Mount Kilimanjaro 3 months post-hip replacement, completing Park City's Tour des Suds on a hybrid city bike, a fa- ther/son rowing trip through the Grand Canyon, jumping off Havasu Falls in Arizona, and becom- ing a minister online to marry several friends, including Dr. Tabin and his wife. "Alan Crandall was present in the moment, all the time. One of my favorite pictures is from South Sudan where Alan is holding a small child's hand, walking him home. In his too short but amazingly full life, Alan held so many of our hands, brought joy to our journeys through life, and helped us reach where we needed to go." 'Loved by everyone who knew him' Robert Cionni, MD, described Dr. Crandall as "the only person I've ever known who was loved by everyone who knew him." Likewise, Dr. Cionni continued, Dr. Crandall also loved and cared for those who came into his life "regardless of who they were, where they came from, their political views, religious beliefs, or life choices." Dr. Cionni recognized the "unwavering com- mitment to curing preventable blindness" that Dr. Crandall shared with his wife, Julie. "His commitment to training surgeons here and abroad filled every hour of his every day. continued from page 23

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