Mary Elizabeth Smith

1949 - 2024

Mary Elizabeth Smith

June 14, 1949 - December 29, 2024

Mary Elizabeth Smith, MPH, passed away peacefully at her home in Charlottesville, Virginia on December 29, 2024 at the age of 75. She was born in the Manhattan borough of New York City on June 14, 1949 and was the daughter of the late John Smith and Mabel O'Donnell Smith. Mary grew up in Fort Washington in Manhattan, and attended our Lady Queen of Martyrs School, and then Mother Cabrini High School, where she was a member of the marching band and excelled as a student. At Mother Cabrini High School, she earned numerous awards and recognitions, including a Regents College Scholarship and commendation as a National Merit Scholar. She attended the Thomas More College at Fordham University in Bronx, NY, where she received a BA degree in Sociology in 1970. She later attended the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she received her MPH degree in Health Systems Management in 1992.

Mary started her career in vision science, ophthalmology clinical care, and health care administration at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she was Research Assistant and Staff Associate from 1973 to 1979. She was a pioneer in ophthalmic ultrasound, developing the clinical applications of this technique, creating the board certification process, becoming registered (board certified) in 1976, and serving as a board examiner for many years. She was Senior Research Associate and Lecturer in Ophthalmology at Cornell University Medical College from 1979 to 1986, and was a Research Instructor at Tulane University from 1986 to 1995. She held a faculty appointment as Instructor in Ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis from 1995 to 2009, working with Barrett G. Haik, MD and Peter A. Netland, MD, PhD. She served as Senior Project Manager from 2009 to 2024 for the University of Virginia Department of Ophthalmology in Charlottesville, and retired in June 2024.

During her career, Mary was a leader in ophthalmic ultrasound, serving in multiple professional societies for ultrasonography of the eye, including leadership service in the American Society of Ophthalmic Ultrasound (ASOU) and other medical ultrasound organizations. Her other management roles included clinic manager and director for multiple institutions during her career. She developed detailed knowledge of ophthalmology clinics, and served as a project and construction manager for numerous institutional projects. She received numerous honors and awards during her career, including the service award and the honor award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Pioneer in Ultrasound award from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, the Distinguished Service Faculty Award from the Joint Commission Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology, and the Edward Dahlstrom Distinguished Service Award from the Mid-South Lions Sigh and Hearing Service. In addition, she served as an Ophthalmology Glaucoma Fellowship Program Coordinator for Dr. Netland's Glaucoma Fellowship for 24 years, providing the foundational training for generations of glaucoma subspecialists and forming life-long relationships with her trainees.

Mary published 51 scientific papers in her field, many of them landmark publications in ophthalmic ultrasound. She published 46 scientific abstracts and posters in national and international meetings. She was course director or coordinator for seven multi-year regional and national meetings, and delivered 156 invited scientific presentations at regional, national, and international meetings. She contributed to at least four ophthalmology textbooks. In addition, wherever she was employed, she educated generations of technicians, medical students, residents, fellows, and physicians about ophthalmic ultrasound and other techniques.

Mary was a bright, talented, focused, and diligent individual who was greatly appreciated by all those around her. She formed strong friendships over the years with Drs. Robert Ellsworth, Jackson Coleman, David Abramson, Stanley Chang, Frederick Jacobiec, Delmar Caldwell, Barrett Haik, and Peter Netland. She also was a loyal friend to many, including Deborah Modica, Peggy Kearney, Becky Marks, and Jenny Hinebaugh Hamlin. She was fluent in Spanish, helped with construction of housing for needy families in Central America as a young woman, and frequently used this skill to communicate with patients. She was a cat devotee, and is survived by her cat Petey, who is now placed in a loving home. She was a lover of the science and preparation of food, and enjoyed preparing special meals for her friends. She will be remembered fondly by her friends as sociable, energetic, and outgoing. Mary had a full life, and was strong, respectful, and hard-working. She was predeceased by her parents.

A memorial service is being planned for later in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. She appreciated her colleagues and friends, and those who cared for her near the end of her life. She will be interred in Virginia, where she had lived for the last 15 years of her life.