Contributed by Jan Bergmanson, OD, PhD, PhD hc, DSc, FCOptom, & Simon Barnard PhD, FCOptom

Richard M. Pearson, a distinguished British educator and contact lens historian, passed away on Aug. 11, 2024, at age 87. He was awarded an MPhil, the British diplomate status in both the Contact Lens and Binocular Vision (Orthoptics) fields. In 1964, he joined the Department of Optometry at the City University (now City St George’s, University of London), where he remained a most cherished teacher for almost four decades. His talent for educating was appreciated by his students, many of whom became prominent teachers, researchers , and practitioners globally.

Pearson’s brilliant lecture style was characterized by his ability to present even complex subject matter in a simple and easy-to-understand format and blend it with his humor. Due to his incredible educational skills, he was a frequently invited speaker to countries that were trying to advance practitioners’ utilization of contact lenses. In fact, he was such a frequent visitor to Sweden, that he became nearly fluent in Swedish!

Pearson is a past editor-in-chief for Contact Lens and Anterior Eye, and he was the editor that introduced that journal title. In the latter part of his distinguished career, Pearson took an interest in the history of the contact lens, publishing several articles in high-ranking journals, and he became the go-to expert for questions regarding contact lens history.

Through his depth of knowledge, impeccable manners and humor, Pearson became an influential member of organizations, such as the International Association of Contact Lens Educators, International Society for Contact Lens Research, British Contact Lens Association, British Standards Institute Contact Lens Technical Committee, and Sveriges Kontaktlinsföreningen.

We thank you for your kind tutelage, your enormous contributions and for being our dear colleague. We will miss you dearly!