Stephen Michael DRANCE

1925 - 2020

STEPHEN MICHAEL DRANCE, OC, MD 1925 - 2020 It is with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to our father and friend - Dr. Stephen Drance, who passed away September 2, 2020, on Salt Spring Island at 95 years of age. Stephen lost the love of his life - Betty, in 2015, and is survived by his 3 children Jonathan (Anita), Michael (Vicki), and Elisabeth (David) as well as his grandchildren, Kate (Collin), Thomas (Laura), Sarah (Xander) and Rachel (Rebecca), his two great-grandchildren - Marie and Egon, and his sister Hannah (Yank) and nephews Stephen (Sarah) and David (Penny). He will be missed by his devoted care companion - Darlene Hawke who cared for Stephen throughout the last 4 years of his life. We would also like to thank Linda Hawke, Paz Andoy and Marivic Pineda for their caregiving skills in the final months of his life, as well as the many caregivers who supported him in the last few years at Tapestry. Stephen will also be missed by his many friends and glaucoma fellows, who were like family to him. Stephen was considered a visionary in ophthalmology, specifically the field of glaucoma. He was a tireless enabler, fundraiser and a peerless mentor. Stephen will be equally remembered for his philanthropy and tireless drive to promote the arts scene in Vancouver and beyond. Born into a Jewish family in Bielsko, Poland on May 22, 1925, he was sent to boarding school in England prior to the German invasion, as a young teen. His family followed, and they survived the Blitz in London despite several close calls. They relocated to Scotland where he attended medical school in Edinburgh. He served as President of the British Medical Students Association and was among the group of doctors who negotiated the terms of the Health Plan, which subsequently led to the creation of the National Health Service in 1948. After being conscripted into the Royal Air Force Medical Corps, he served in Aden (Yemen) where he met Betty, who was a Headmistress of the Royal Air Force school for children. After returning to the United Kingdom, he continued his specialist medical training in Ophthalmology in York, followed by positions in Edinburgh and Oxford. The couple immigrated to Medicine Hat, Alberta and soon after this Stephen was recruited by the University of Saskatchewan, into a faculty position that enabled him to pursue his love of research. In 1963, he was appointed Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at UBC. In 1973, he became Professor and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and clinical department at the VGH. He remained in this position until his official retirement in 1990. He remained active in glaucoma research well into his 80's. Stephen Drance was key in the building of the UBC/VGH Eye Care Centre, the first free-standing eye care facility in Canada, after relentless fundraising efforts and negotiations with Vancouver General and the BC Ministry of Health. It combined clinical care, surgery, and training of medical students, residents and fellows under one roof. It also introduced new efficiencies in cataract surgery. The Eye Centre opened its doors in 1983 and was a model for other centres in Canada and worldwide. Stephen was recognized internationally for his work in glaucoma research. He made numerous major contributions, including the recognition of a type of haemorrhage in the eye that is specific to glaucoma, known as the "Drance haemorrhage". Along with Dr. Douglas Anderson, of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida, he designed and executed pioneering research that set the standard of care in glaucoma management. He published hundreds of papers and book chapters. Stephen mentored 39 clinical and postdoctoral trainees over a span of 30 years. The Drance Fellows came from 14 different countries, and many are now world-renowned figures in the field. We are certain that Stephen would love to be remembered as much for his contributions to the arts as to ophthalmology. He was a passionate admirer of Renaissance and Baroque music, often travelling worldwide to attend music festivals and concerts. With more major fundraising efforts, he helped establish Festival Vancouver in 2000. The inaugural festival featured a historically informed performance of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo to critical acclaim. After this, Stephen became committed to making Vancouver a magnet for Baroque Opera, with multiple subsequent productions. He also served on the boards of Early Music Vancouver, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Stephen was an utterly charming human being. As an incredibly gifted speaker, whose lectures were delivered insightfully with wit and a precisely measured cadence, he frequently received standing ovations, which are not common in the scientific field. His accomplishments garnered him many awards and recognitions, including the Officer of the Order of Canada and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Stephen was devoted to his wife Betty and the couple were married for 62 years before her death. He was a loving and encouraging father who kept growing and developing in this area throughout his life. He was an exceptional caregiver for Betty in her final years. Stephen left this world with grace and dignity - a true gentleman. He had a profound belief that his achievements were all related to "the luck in his life", and spoke about that in numerous invited lectures. He lived his life with gratitude and humility. As Einstein said, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." We are grateful he taught us the latter approach to life.