W. Stanley (Stan) Muenzler, poet, surgeon, husband, father, kind and gracious friend, has passed from this earth too soon. The unexpected loss of this fine man and his absence from the lives of his family, friends and patients constitutes an emotional and very real vacuum that will not be filled in this life time. A true renaissance man, Stanley was intellectually curious about the world at large and in the intricacies and evolution of his chosen medical profession. After living in multiple states growing up as a child due to the demands of his father’s profession, Stanley’s family settled in Oklahoma City where he attended and graduated from Northeast High School. In a moment of youthful patriotism, after graduating from High School, Stanley misled the U.S. Marine Corps recruiter as to his age, and was sent to off serve in the Korean War shortly before he turned 18. While he celebrated the Marine Corps birthday every year, he was never a chest pounder regarding his service on behalf of our country. Regardless, it is a fact, that he was one of the youngest Marines who participated in the famous battle and celebrated retreat from the Chosin Reservoir as the communist Chinese army overran everyone but the Marines, as China entered the war. Stanley survived to return home, but he always remembered the bone deep cold of the winter fighting in that long ago and forgotten war.
Stanley graduated from the University of Oklahoma during the Bud Wilkinson years and went on to graduate from the University of Oklahoma Medical School. He was a lifelong rabid Sooner football fan, and was wholly unreserved and without balance in his opinions as to the competency of the coaches during the course of the games. After graduating from medical school he went on to complete his Residency in Ophthalmology at Northwestern University’s Evanston Hospital. He subsequently completed a fellowship in Corneal Surgery in San Francisco, California under Max Fine, M.D., a nationally recognized corneal surgeon. Returning to private practice in Oklahoma City, Stanley always gave back to his profession in advancing medical education and clinical research. He served as a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center for the last 25 years. He published numerous academic articles, including multiple articles in the American Journal of Ophthalmology on a wide variety of subjects including diagnosis, treatment and surgical techniques, regarding corneal issues, dry eyes, metastatic tumors of the eyelid and diseases of the eye. He was a visiting lecturer at the Universities of Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, Southern California, Texas, Toronto (Canada), Utah and Vanderbilt. He presented at the World Congress on the Cornea and made multiple presentations to the International de Mecrocirurgie de la Cataracte in Paris France.
Stanley was justifiably proud of his leadership and contribution as the Medical Director of the Oklahoma Lions’ Eye bank and as the Director of the Charles A. Royer Corneal Study Group. He was a member of the Oklahoma, Oklahoma County and American Medical Associations, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, The Castroviejo Society, The International Corneal Society and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Stanley received this year’s Oklahoma Academy of Ophthalmology’s Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding leadership and contributions to the state academy and the profession of ophthalmology. He maintained an active and successful practice to the end of his life. He was ultimately a doctor’s doctor, as well as a man’s man.
Stanley was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Hattie "Pat" Muenzler; and brother Frederick Muenzler. Stanley is survived by his wife Nancy Muenzler of Oklahoma City ; four daughters, Julie Muenzler (Tamar) of Dallas, TX; Leah (Paul) Campbell of Dallas, TX, Paige (Bruce) Simpsen of Dallas, TX, and Lynn (Frank) Saunders of Shawnee, OK; two step-daughters; Katherine(Steven) English Groves of Washington, DC, and Kristin (Bart) Reichert of Dallas, TX. He is also survived by eight grandchildren.
The family only will participate in a private funeral service. A memorial service followed by a reception will be held at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club at 5:30 pm, on Thursday, September 5, 2013. In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to the Oklahoma Lions Eye Bank at 3840 N. Lincoln Boulevard, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105.
http://www.oklionsfoundation.org/Oklahoma-Lions-Eye-Bank_ep_46-1.html
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