RIP Robert Sinskey, M.D.

[DavidG]

Robert Sinskey, M.D. passed away in June this year. I remember Bob as a giving, generous teacher. I had the good fortune and the honor of learning cataract surgery from him during my residency at UCLA/Jules Stein Eye Institute in the early 1980s. The Sinskey lens was one of the first really popular intraocular lenses used during cataract surgery because of its simple and effective design. The Sinskey hook, used to manipulate lens implants, is still used by most ophthalmic surgeons.

Of course he also founded Robert Sinskey Vineyards, where his son Rob is the winemaker.

Excerpted from an obituary in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery:

Robert Sinskey, MD, was truly a Renaissance man. He was a gifted surgeon whose skills attracted the rich and famous as patients. He was an honest and dedicated teacher, guiding a generation of ophthalmologists around the world as they adopted phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) implantation into their daily practices. He was an athlete and a philanthropist. He was a wine and food enthusiast. He was a dedicated husband, father, and friend to a large family and a diverse collection of friends. A dinner shared with Bob and his beloved wife Loraine was a memorable experience to be treasured forever...

...As famous as the Sinskey name is in ophthalmology, it is also known worldwide by those who appreciate fine wines. Bob turned his hobby as an oenophile into the gorgeous Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa Valley, which continues to produce award-winning wines under his son Rob and Rob’s wife Maria’s guidance. Here, tucked in the midst of producing vineyards, Bob also became a passionate gardener, growing exotic fruits, including guavas, mangos, apricots, mulberries, blueberries, and even cherimoyas and donut peaches. An invitation to the Sinskey’s was always an experience in superb cuisine accompanied by world-class wines and extraordinary conversation with a diverse group of friends.

My sincerest condolences to the family.

[dstgolf]

David,

It's always tough to see the pioneers of Medicine that we grew to hold on a pedestal in our respective fields see their lives come to an end. This morning my wife was browsing the obits(a habit that has become part of our routine) only to see that an old colleague who was the first graduate of radiology from Ottawa University see his life coming to an end after 85 years. Also an interesting chap who started his career in the university setting then being recruited to the community becoming the first chief at the second community hospital in the region back in the seventies. An active vascular interventional radiologist provided a tremendous service to the community over the years leaving a large void upon his retirement. It's amazing now that we are entering the twilights of our careers we are seeing all too frequently friends and colleagues are starting to pass. Condolences to the Senskey family along with Dr David Gray's family locally.

[Nicklasss]

Sad News. Not that I knew he was a doctor, but respected what he created as winery.

I went to the winery with a group of BWEers in 2002, and we got really good tour from the winery, tasting pinot noir wines from different barrels. They even left us have a wine from the library, and i was the lucky one that have to chose, and my choice was their oldest Chardonnay.

Nic

[JimHow]

He lived a great life. Which is all you can ask for in the end. Leave the place at least a little better off because of your efforts. Be good to people, help those most in need. I was very sad when my Dad died this winter, but then after I gave my eulogy to him, even though I was still sad, there was a certain level of joy because we were celebrating the great life he lived. These people come into our lives, often when we are in our education, and touch our lives forever. I had a political science professor in college, he was kind of a legend in Massachusetts politics north of Boston. I was his best student ever in his 40 years of teaching. I spoke at his retirement dinner, etc. He had an enormous influence on my life, was a huge inspiration behind my entering politics. Then I lost track of him over the decades. A few years back his daughter wrote me a letter telling me he had died of Parkinson's. How he had always talked about me, followed my career, etc. Needless to say, I was immensely moved. It sounds like this doctor played a similar role for you, David!

[DavidG]

I'm certain I was far from his best student, but he and a few others along the way we're truly inspiring. They shared some common traits: a love for their field, inquisitive minds, the courage to try something new, and a joy in sharing their knowledge. They were great role models.