Walter Henry Stern ’66

Walter Henry Stern ’66 passed away on August 6, surrounded by his loving family, after fighting the consequences of brain surgery and a stroke he suffered in 2011. Walt grew up in Scarsdale, New York, and attended Edgemont High School. At Dartmouth he participated on the ski team and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He then attended the University of Chicago medical school and stayed in Chicago for his internship and ophthalmology residency, specializing in the retina and rising to the level of chief resident. After his third year in medical school, Walt married Betty, whom he had met one summer at Dartmouth. While Walt was still an intern and a resident, she gave birth to sons Josh, and Ben. In 1975 they moved to California, where Walt joined the faculty at the University of California, San Francisco, and eventually became the director of the vitreoretinal service for the next 15 years. Walt also enjoyed and excelled at research. He directed the proliferative vitreoretinopathy study group and was codirector of the uveitis survey. He authored or coauthored 59 research papers and medical journals, coauthored chapters in three medical textbooks, and was the coeditor of another textbook concerning vitrectomy in surgical techniques. After 17 years at UCSF, he joined Sterling Haidt’s retina practice and formed the Northern California Retina Vitreous Associates. He is survived by Betty; Josh and his wife, Jennifer; Ben and his wife, Gabriela; grandchildren Jake, Rylan, Cole, Luke, and Alina; and brothers Ronald and Ernest.