Charles William "Bill" Simcoe

Charles William "Bill" Simcoe, M.D., 86, passed away in his Tulsa home, surrounded by loved ones, on October 22, 2017. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2PM on Friday, January 26th, at Harvard Avenue Christian Church in Tulsa, officiated by Pastor Mark Briley. Bill Simcoe was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma on June 5, 1931. He attended Oklahoma A&M College (now OSU), and joined the Sigma Chi fraternity. Though eligible for academic deferment, Bill felt strongly compelled to serve his country, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served for three years, including a year of front line combat during the Korean War, a formative experience that shaped his desire to become a doctor. When his enlistment ended, Bill attended the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. He completed an internship at Gorgas Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone, and his ophthalmology residency at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia (now the Scheie Eye Institute). Dr. Simcoe then returned to Oklahoma, choosing Tulsa as the place to open a private practice and raise his family. Dr. Simcoe leaves behind a legacy of groundbreaking and creative ophthalmological innovations and contributions. While examining and reshaping a paper clip, he had an idea of how to invent a much safer intraocular lens design—the Simcoe open C loop—which has become the industry standard in modern cataract surgery. Among his numerous surgical inventions, is a handheld instrument—the Simcoe Cannula—which he developed to replace prohibitively expensive machines. Dr. Simcoe traveled with a group called Project Orbis in a specially equipped airplane, featuring a functional operating room onboard. He traveled to over 50 countries worldwide, teaching other ophthalmologists how to perform safer, more cost-effective cataract surgeries. Dr. Simcoe refused to patent any of his medical inventions, as he felt physicians should not personally profit from patients’ misfortunes, and should share all knowledge without exclusivity or profit. Dr. Simcoe received many awards during his career for contributions to the development of new and innovative ideas in the field of Ophthalmology and in modern cataract surgery. Awards include a first prize medal by the International Cataract Congress in Cannes, France (1979), the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery’s Innovator Award (1989), and the Phillip M. Corboy, M.D. Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Ophthalmology (2010). He also received the Significant Sig Award from his fraternity, Sigma Chi (1991). During a day spent with Muhammad Ali in 1992, Dr. Simcoe received a note written to him by the boxing legend. Dr. Simcoe often shared with others a quote found within: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.” During his life, Bill served countless others as a pioneer in Ophthalmology, a proud Marine and veteran, and as a beloved friend, mentor, teacher, husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife Sandy, and his many loving children and grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in memory of Bill Simcoe to the Tulsa County Medical Society (918-743-6184), 5315 S. Lewis Ave, Tulsa, OK 74105-6539. FITZGERALD IVY CHAPEL, 918-585-1151.

Charles William "Bill" Simcoe

June 5, 1931 - October 22, 2017