It is with great sorrow we share with the readership the loss of an esteemed member of our profession. Andrew Field, MSc, FCOptom, FAAO fought a valiant battle with cancer, to which he succumbed December 30, 2020 at the age of 81. Andrew was a graduate of Northampton College of Advanced Technology, now City, University of London, where he later earned a MSc degree.
Never one to seek recognition, Andrew was one of the true pioneers in optometry, adopting the more medical approach than the traditional predominant refractive emphasis. His two London practices with advanced instrumentation were caring for a healthy population of rigid contact lens wearers and Andrew became one of the first practitioners to start fitting the new soft lenses in the early 70’s. At this time, with encouragement from the preeminent optometric leaders, Andrew founded the British Association of Young Optometrists.
Andrew became a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) and later elected the Chair of the British Chapter of this huge organization. Under his leadership the AAO organized its first international meeting in Stratford upon Avon, UK, in 1992. Subsequently he also was elected to become a member of the College of Optometry Council. In 1999 he received the AAO’s Eminent Service Award.
Upon retiring from clinical practice, Andrew continued his engagement with optometry by developing software programming for various ocular applications – the Vutest for computer operator vision screening and the SeeDrive Pro for commercial vehicle driver vision screening. This effort demonstrated Andrew’s versatility and his considerable intellectual capacity. These computer applications are still in use today.
With the passing of Andrew Field optometry lost a true leader. To us Andrew was not only a close dear friend and colleague, but he also served as a wonderful mentor and role model. We will miss him dearly! Andrew is survived by his wife, Margaret, daughters Karen and Hayley and three grandsons.
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Published online: March 02, 2021
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