Life began in San Francisco, California. Born the oldest of three children, Jeff started elementary school in Berkeley speaking only Chinese. He joined the Cub Scouts and made lifelong friends. Scouting was a great way to see places and participate in lots of fun activities. Later, when attending Berkeley High School, he was elected President of his sophomore class. Also during his high school days, he participated in the Marching Band. He has fun memories of going by train to Seattle and playing the saxophone at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.
Throughout high school and college, he helped in his parents’ corner grocery store. He was a favorite nephew with the aunties. He stopped by to look in on them and ran errands for them all the time. There was always time to help someone.
On to San Francisco State University where he majored in Biology and almost minored in Spanish. After he graduated in 1969, his friend suggested Optometry School and so he applied to Berkeley.
He married his high school and college “buddy” in May 1969. They moved to Berkeley for him to start school and his wife to begin teaching elementary school in El Cerrito. September 1969 was the beginning of UC Berkeley Optometry School. Two years later, his first son, Ken, was born and changes needed to be made. He began to work part-time at Albertsons Foods and work full-time as an apartment manager (so rent was only half) while attending school full-time to make ends meet. There was abundant emotional family support but no financial support. By the end of this year, his second son was born! Thank goodness for union dues and great medical coverage. Baby Greg, a premie, was in an incubator for two weeks!
Graduation from UC Berkeley Optometry School was in June 1973! Hooray! Go Bears! Jeff’s professional career began in San Jose, California. After two years, he set up an optometry office at Drew Medical Clinic in Palo Alto. He worked two days at the medical clinic, a day in Redwood City for Dr. Rognas, sometimes performing eye exams in Spanish, and a day at UC Berkeley’s Clinic. In 1976, after three years of planning, he purchased Dr. Rognas’ San Francisco practice at the Embarcadero Center. Jeff continued in Palo Alto and then San Francisco, and Berkeley.
During his time at UC Berkeley, he would host a group of young people from the Hip Wah summer camp. This gave the young people a glimpse of what optometry was about. They toured the campus and learned more with a Q and A session. This was a highlight of his and their summers.
In 1981, he had a memorable trip to China to meet with other eye doctors and view hospitals as the result of a People to People trip started by President Dwight Eisenhower. Optometrist from all over the US and some spouses traveled to Beijing and Shanghai for two weeks followed by a tour of Japan. This twenty-six day trip was very interesting to share eye care theories and treatments.
In 1983, Jeff was asked to be on the selection committee for a new principal at the local high school. After numerous interviews and meetings, a candidate was chosen. Jeff volunteered to prepare dinner for the high school group at First Covenant Church once a month. This was a weekly meeting that encouraged the young people, about 50-60, to meet and have a nutritious dinner.
Realizing he had fewer years to enjoy life in front of him, he decided to sell the practice and enjoy more days off. He felt he already had a house, car, and many comforts but fewer days to enjoy it all.
A new daughter-in-law was added in 2001, the first granddaughter was born in 2014 and another new daughter-in-law was added a few days later in 2014! The last daughter-in-law joined the family in 2018. Now he spends his days enjoying six grandchildren, biking, hours in the garden tending to his Japanese maples and vegetable garden, traveling and lots of photography. Some of his pictures are displayed at UC Berkeley School of Optometry. Jeff is always busy doing something. If something needs a repair, he can do it.
His concern for people is very important. The family is first in everything; patients are a close second. He took off work for three months to care for his “buddy” during a recent surgery. After forty-three years as an assistant clinical professor, he retired from UC Berkeley where he also contributed to Ko Clinic weekly from 1993-2019. He now spends one day a week as a consultant in San Francisco. Some say he is like the bunny with the Ever-ready battery. He goes and goes! It’s hard to catch up with him!
Young OD of the Year: Dr. Jennifer Fisher
