Bernard Harold Zeavin

Dr. Bernard H. Zeavin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba he received his M.D. degree from the University of Manitoba and interned at the Winnipeg General Hospital. He then left Canada for good, spending 5 years in Boston at Harvard and at the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary specializing in Ophthalmology. As long as he could remember, Dr. Zeavin wanted to be a doctor stating "I dreamed of producing health and life when I was a kid." He believed knowledge was power. In medical school he established an early track record of success. He won 2 medals in Medical School, one of which was the coveted Gold Medal of Medicine and in 1950 he was one of four students to graduate with honors. Later he received a fellowship in Ophthalmic Research at Harvard where he wrote a paper with a Nobel Prize winner Dr. George Wald educating people on Retinitis Pigmentosa. (Rod and cone vision in Retinitis Pigmentosa) After spending 2 years as a Captain in the U.S. Army at Fort Dix, N.J., he came to Alexandria, VA where he established The Eye Center. His business consisted of his own Optical Shop and a staff of 20 professionals. He formed the Eye Dept. at Alexandria Hospital, and became its first Chairman. To maintain his competitive edge he underwent total retraining in his 50's in modern micro surgery to perform the latest ophthalmic techniques in cataract surgery and laser procedures. Dr. Zeavin was the first ophthalmologist in Virginia to hold the certification in cataract and implant surgery from the American Board of Eye Surgery. He was one of the first in Virginia to do "No Stitch" cataract surgery. He had guest lecture status at various medical forums such as George Washington University School of Medicine and Senior Attending at the Washington Hospital Center. He organized, chaired and spoke at continuing education programs held in places from Virginia, Washington D.C., to taking a month off from his busy practice participating in CARE-Medico performing eye surgery on people in Algiers. He was a regular guest on radio discussing advances in eye care. He served as President of many organizations including the Northern Virginia Academy of Ophthalmology, the Virginia Society of Ophthalmology, the Bailey's Crossroads Rotary Club, and the Virginia State Society among others. He was Chairman of the Polio Plus USA Immunization Program, Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Benefactor of the Virginia Tech Foundation, member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and on the board of the Capital Cotillion Club. He had many honors some of which are being a Kentucky Colonel in 1997 and awarded the Rotary Foundation District Service Award. He served as Rotary District Governor in Virginia, speaking to all 78 Rotary Clubs while forming 11 new rotary clubs during his Rotary career. He was a member of the National Press Club & the Harvard Club. He was married for 34 years and survived by his 4 children Dr. Gerald Zeavin, Bradford Zeavin, Jill Robin (Zeavin) Payne and Dr. Spencer Zeavin, and their spouses. He has 5 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, a sister, Beverly. One of Dr. Zeavin's grandson is a 5th generation doctor. Dr. Zeavin was a wonderful father believing the best education is learning from people face to face; so twice a year he took his family to different countries or states to be 'with the people. After retirement he took up Ballroom Dancing reaching Gold status where a friend recalls an attendant telling him, "You have the moves, man!" That he did. A memorial service will be held at Bethel Hebrew Congregation on Friday, October 28, 2022 at 4PM. A graveside service will be held to honor Dr. Zeavin's military service at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

Tributes

Bernard Harold Zeavin

November 3, 1926 - October 25, 2022