Conor O'Malley

Conor O'Malley, M.D. Resident of San Jose Dr. Conor Cahal O'Malley, a retired eye surgeon, scholar, writer, professor, and inventor, died in his home on November 30th in San Jose, CA. He was 82. Conor was born on May 21, 1930, in Galway, Ireland. He came from a family of more than 35 doctors. His mother, Dr. Sal (Sarah Genevieve) Joyce O'Malley was an anesthesiologist, his father, Dr. C. L. Conor O'Malley, an ear, nose and throat surgeon. Conor received a Bachelor of Medicine, a Bachelor of Obstetrics, and a Bachelor of Surgery degree from the National University of Ireland, Galway. He had internships in Galway, Liverpool, and Toledo, OH. Before doing his Ophthalmology Residency at UCLA Medical Center, he had a Fellowship in Ophthalmic Pathology at the Doheny Eye Institute. He became a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 1972. For 38 years, Conor was in private practice at the Eye Medical Clinic of Santa Clara Valley, specializing in diseases of the vitreous and retina. He served on the medical staff at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose. He was a Ophthalmology Consultant to the U.S. Army at Fort Ord between 1965-1975, and was an Assistant Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at UCSF for 14 years. Between 1962 and 1975, Dr. O'Malley developed groundbreaking innovations in vitreous and retina surgical equipment. With Ralph Heinz and Dr. Maurice Tripp, he co-invented a patented system of instruments for intraocular microsurgery called the Ocutome. Conor ran numerous Ocutome teaching workshops and published articles for surgeons describing the new techniques. Ocutome technology is now sold under many names worldwide. His surgical innovations have helped thousands of people regain their eyesight. Conor's brother, Patrick O'Malley, another well known eye surgeon said, " His main contribution to humanity was recognizing that many tiny incisions were far less traumatic than one or two large ones. This is the basis of the global use of minimally invasive surgery. This was an enormous contribution to surgery overall". In 1978, Dr. O'Malley self-financed a three month medical mission to Karachi, Pakistan to teach retina surgery to physicians at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Institute and at the Mobile Eye Service. The mission included his six member family, another surgeon, his OR Nurse, and a surgical photographer. Dr. O'Malley and several medical corporations donated 23 crates of surgical equipment and medicinal supplies to this effort. Once "retired", Conor developed and patented a revolutionary toilet that uses 50% less water than a standard low flow toilet. A fifty year resident of Willow Glen, he loved moving about the community, talking with people everywhere. He was a scholar who remembered everything he read; and did so by repeating his new information to the first person he saw. He loved traveling, history, cycling, bird watching, and most exceptionally, had a life-long passion for languages. He was fluent in Irish, Spanish, and French, and smiled when noting he also "spoke English reasonably well". In 1958, he married Mary Ellis Refalo of Detroit, Michigan, at the Church of Saint Paul the Apostle, in Westwood Village, California. Conor's survivors include son Peter, of Los Gatos (Leslie); and three daughters: Grace O'Malley of San Francisco and Timber Cove (Tim Winterer); Siobhan O'Malley of Willow Glen; Bronwyn O'Malley of Los Altos (Olaf van der Geest); and grand-children Max, Owen, Grace, Jasper and Ronan. He is also survived by his brother, Patrick, of South Bend, IN, sisters Anne Kelly and Joan Ringrose, both of Ireland. Conor is preceded in death by his parents, sister Grace O'Hara, and his loving wife, Mary. Friends are invited to a Rosary service from 7-8:00 pm at Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel (710 Willow Street, San Jose, CA 95125) on Friday December 7th. On December 8th, there will be a Mass at 9:30 am at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church (219 Bean Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030), followed by a Burial at Los Gatos Memorial Park (2255 Los Gatos-Almaden Road, San Jose, CA 95124). Donations in his memory may be sent to: Lucile Packard Foundation Children's Hospital, Attention: Homeless Teen Van, 400 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301.