Dr. Robert Haig Bedrossian

Dr. Robert H. Bedrossian, a well-respected ophthalmologist and a beloved contributor to the Vancouver community, died Friday, October 8, 2010, at the age of 86, after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease. Family members, including his son and two daughters, were with him when he peacefully passed away. Bedrossian was born August 31, 1924. His parents came to the United States from Armenia with other family members in 1908. He spent most of his younger years in Pennsylvania, attending Upper Darby High School along with his older brother and sister. He earned a degree from Haverford College in Pennsylvania and graduated from Temple University Medical School in 1947. His older brother and father also were ophthalmologists. Bedrossian married his wife, Carolyn, in 1948, and they had three children. In the late 1950s, they moved to Clark County, where he established the Bedrossian Eye Clinic, which later became the Bedrossian Keown Eye Clinic and then Vancouver Eye Care. He touched the lives of countless patients during his career, retiring from practice in 1999 at the age of 75. A 50-year member of the Rotary Club of Vancouver, "Dr. Bob" lived by Rotary's "Service Above Self" motto. He served his country as chief ophthalmologist at a U.S. Army hospital in Texas and was a visiting lecturer and surgeon in third world countries, including Afghanistan, China, Indonesia, Kenya and Armenia. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bedrossian performed numerous eye surgeries in a jet airplane fully equipped as an operating room for those less fortunate in Cyprus, Thailand, Spain, El Salvador and China. Locally, Bedrossian was a mentor for family practice residents at Southwest Washington Medical Center, served as president of the hospital's medical staff and surgery department, and provided multiple community education seminars. He volunteered at the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health and Science University and the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington. He spoke about his profession to elementary, middle and high school students. He also contributed to the community by serving on the Rotary Club of Vancouver board of directors, hosting a Rotary exchange student from China, and establishing the Bedrossian Family Scholarship Fund with the Vancouver Rotary Foundation. He was the incorporator and president of Lake Shore Athletic Club (1959-62), chairman of the Citizens' Committee for School Support�Vancouver Public Schools (1961-65), incorporator and trustee for St. Joseph Community Hospital (1966-74), and member of the Governor's Comprehensive Health Planning Council (1968-74). Whenever asked about his proudest accomplishments, Dr. Bob said family was most important to him. He loved family gatherings and orchestrated many family vacations over the years. He was an avid skier who enjoyed the sport well into his 70s. Surviving Bedrossian are his wife Carolyn, daughters Diane Laycoe of Ridgefield and Karen Bedrossian of Woodinville, son Robert Bedrossian of Tualatin, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the following charitable organizations: Vancouver Rotary Foundation, Bedrossian Family Scholarship Fund P.O. Box 1000, Vancouver, WA 98666-1000 Oregon Health and Science University, Parkinson Center of Oregon 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239-3098