H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD, passes away at 84

H. Dunbar Hoskins, Jr. MD.(Image Credit: Glaucoma Research Foundation)

Noted ophthalmologist and glaucoma specialist H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD, passed away recently. He was 84.

Hoskins, who served as executive vice president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) from 1993 to 2009, passed away January 27, 2024, at his home in Belvedere, California, according to Legacy.com.¹

According to a biography on the Glaucoma Research Foundation page,² Hoskins followed his father into the field of ophthalmology, attending the Virginia Military Institute, and then graduating from the Medical College of Virginia in 1965 and completing his glaucoma specialty training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Hoskins was a pioneer and leader in the field of ophthalmology and glaucoma, having authored or coauthored more than 80 publications and presented more than 350 invited lectures around the world. He also was the founding director and Director Emeritus of the Glaucoma Research Foundation, and a founding director of the American Glaucoma Society.²

He also served as the chairman of St. Mary's Medical Center in San Francisco, chairman of the Board of Mercy Services Corp., the founder and chairman of Medicom Corp, and as a retired lieutenant commander in the United States Naval Reserve.

During his career, Hoskins received a number of awards and honors for his work as an ophthalmologist and glaucoma specialist, including the highest award presented by the AAO, its Laureate Award, as well as the AAO Lifetime Achievement Award, the AAO Distinguished Service Award, the Catalyst Award from the Glaucoma Research Foundation, and the Robert N. Shaffer Award from UCSF. In 2009, in his honor, the AAO opened the H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD Center for Quality Eye Care to promote accessibility to and appropriateness of eye care services.²

According to Legacy.com, Hoskins is survived by his wife of more than Ann Reider Hoskins; his children, Talbott Hoskins Roche (and her spouse James Roche), Eleanor Ruffin Hoskins, Horace Chesley (Chad) Hoskins (and his spouse Eliza Niles Hoskins, MD); 4 grandchildren, Caroline, Griffin, Haley and Jackson; and his brother, Charles Robert Hoskins.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the AAO Foundation at 655 Beach Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94109 or the Glaucoma Research Foundation at 251 Post Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, Calif. 94108.¹

References

1. H. Hoskins Obituary (1939 - 2024) - Tiburon, CA - San Francisco Chronicle. Legacy.com. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/h-hoskins-obituary?id=54265022

2. Biography H. Dunbar Hoskins, Jr., MD - glaucoma.org. glaucoma.org. Accessed February 8, 2024. https://glaucoma.org/biography-h-dunbar-hoskins-jr-md/?print=print