News
In Memoriam
Dr. Sol Rocke 1920-2010
Optometry lost a real visionary with
the recent passing of Dr. Sol Rocke, age 90, a 1949 graduate
of Northern Illinois College of Optometry. He was one of
the great ones. Armed with the very idealistic idea that
those who can help others have a moral obligation to help
others, Dr. Sol Rocke co-founded VOSH-Illinois with Dr. Gary
Blackman and Dr. John Lancaster in 1976. They had traveled
to a meeting in Kansas and met Dr. Franklin Harms, the
founder of VOSH. They came back fired up with the very
simple idea that optometrists not only can make a difference
in the world, but also should. He was a prolific missionary
for vision, having gone on dozens of self funded missions.
Through his organizational talents and early leadership,
VOSH-Illinois continues to this day. His leadership has
helped over 300,000 of the world's poorest people obtain
better vision, at completely no charge. His business model
for VOSH-Illinois made it easy for other caring
professionals who share his vision to participate in one of
the greatest experiences one could have as an optometrist.
He often commented that one's career in optometry was not
complete until one went on a VOSH mission.
While Dr. Rocke is most famous for his work with VOSH, his
prolific career spanning five decades practicing optometry,
his long standing role as Mayor of Hazel Crest or his
dedication and leadership with the Homewood Rotary Club,
those who had the pleasure of knowing him remember him for
other things: his kindness, genuine warmth, his compassion
and his lifelong mission of service to his fellow man. There
truly is no greater legacy that one can leave behind. He is
survived by his three sons David, Kenneth, and Alan and three
grandchildren. Dr. Rocke's son, Alan, remembers his fathers
words: "My father talked a lot to his family about public
service. He
felt very strongly that people who were in
a position to help their fellow human beings had an ethical
obligation to do so."
Thanks for your leadership Dr. Rocke. You will be missed
by many.
Dr. Floyd Woods 1927-2008
Dr. Woods was active in VOSH for many years and in the development of the profession of optometry. There are many reasons for admiring and respecting Dr. Woods.
These are just a few:
Dr. Woods brought energy to VOSH trips. He enjoyed working with people and being able to help them. He enjoyed getting to know his international patients. On his 80th birthday in Mexico, hundreds of waiting patients sung him a heart felt Feliz Cumpleaños.
Vision care of children was a high priority for him. Following graduation, he enrolled in Loyola University and earned a masters degree in education with a strong emphasis on child development.
Dr. Woods was a particularly effective as president of the Illinois Optometric Association, serving as a strong advocate for passage of landmark legislation for optometric use of diagnostic pharmaceutical agents in 1984, and therapeutic pharmaceutical agents in 1994.
He was one of the found members of the Chicago Lighthouse Professional Advisory Council, which advanced 24 unique programs of community services for person who are blind or visually impaired.
Dr. Woods was able to span more than one generation. His younger colleagues, including his partner Dr. Sandra Bury, found him particularly knowledgeable and caring. he was know by all who knew him as an individual with an utterly irresistible spirit of friendship, warmth and generosity. Thank you for your spirit Dr. Woods. You will be missed by many.