Dr. Charles Joseph Pavlin

Beloved Husband of Margaret Elizabeth Pavlin (Tighe) and Father of Jessica and Michael passed away suddenly but peacefully in the afternoon on November 14th 2014. Better known by his friends and family as Chuck, he will be remembered for being a loving father, devoted friend, athlete and musician in addition to his incredible achievements as an ophthalmologist and researcher.

Chuck was born in Dauphin, Manitoba and grew up on a small farm outside of town with his sister Jeannette and brother Edward whom he loved dearly. He attended the University of Manitoba where he studied medicine and graduated as a Medical Doctor in 1967. He became an officer in the Canadian Air Force before moving to Toronto to complete a residency in Ophthalmology at the University of Toronto. During his residency he met his future wife Margaret, and they were married in Toronto on December 22nd 1972. In 1975 he received his certification (FRCS) as an ophthalmologist and established a practice at Parliament and Wellesley in Toronto where he served a diverse community. He later moved to Mount Sinai Hospital. He continued to practice until the end of his life and took great joy in helping his patients.

In 1981 he completed post graduate training in ophthalmic ultrasound in New York and imaging of the eye became his research passion. In 1990, with Stuart Foster, he developed the imaging method that they named Ultrasound Biomicroscopy which captures microscopic subsurface images of the living eye. His research clarified many aspects of glaucoma, intraocular lens problems, and anterior segment tumours. Chuck was a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He published extensively, and taught and lectured worldwide. He was a recipient of the Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and was to receive a lifetime achievement award from the University of Toronto Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences this December. He was a researcher until the end and an early draft of his acceptance speech shows him taking the opportunity to discuss his new projects while graciously acknowledging his colleagues.

Lifelong he picked up new sports. In his younger days, he had a lot of fun playing tennis and windsurfing; boldly tried novel sports such as rollerblading and snowboarding. Just this summer, he had a wonderful time playing golf with his friends.

Music brought him great joy. Self-taught, he loved performing with his friends as lead singer and rhythm guitar player and would get his wife and daughter to sing backup as often as possible.

He had a quiet and loving way with his two grandchildren. He spent many hours drawing and painting with his four year old granddaughter, Emily; and would sing and share cranberries with his one year old granddaughter, Matilda.

His friends and family miss him so much.

There will be a visitation at the Trull North Toronto Funeral Home & Cremation Centre 2704 Yonge St., Toronto, (5 blocks south of Lawrence Ave.) on Saturday, November 22, 2014 between the hours of 6 and 8 pm. A memorial service will be held in the chapel on Sunday, November 23, 2014 at 2 o’clock.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the following:

Dr. Charles Pavlin Ophthalmic Ultrasound Fund through the University of Toronto. Inquiries can be directed to Elizabeth den Hartog at 416-978-4321 at the University of Toronto.

Or

Orillia Soldier’s Memorial Hospital Foundation (http://www.osmh.on.ca/osmh/Top/ways/tributememorialgifts.aspx).