Spaulding, Abbot Gregory MD was born in Chicago, IL on Aug. 24, 1933. He was the first son, second child, of Abbot Devon Spaulding and Marguerite McGill Spaulding. For pre-school he attended the Ursuline Convent where all discourse was in French, and then Kindergarten at Blessed Sacrament School in Springfield. For the eight primary grades, he attended St. Joseph's School in Homewood, IL where the Dominican sisters ruled supreme. The eighth grade nun, Sr. Mary Florence, thought there was little hope and recommended a strict high school. He attended Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie duChien Wisconsin. This 500 boy institution had been founded originally in 1888 as Sacred Heart College and offered a classic education, excellent athletics, camaraderie, and military discipline. He graduated with first honors and headed off to St. Louis University, to pursue a liberal arts education and a career in medicine.

Testing well on the entrance examination, he was admitted to the Honors Courses and allowed to bypass his freshman year. In 1955, he graduated "cum laude" with a major in English, and minors in Philosophy and Chemistry. He was accepted into the School of Medicine. Class standing at the end of his sophomore year allowed him to spend most of his junior year at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. With a class ranking of 11th at the end of his junior year, he graduated the following year and left for an internship at Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital in downtown Chicago. This was a tough year physically and mentally, and the highlight was taking vacation time to attend "Mardi Gras" in February in New Orleans.

Unable to obtain the residency of choice in either otolaryngology or ophthalmology, he entered the regular Navy at Oak Knoll Hospital in California in 1960. He was immediately assigned as a general medical officer to a naval transport ship, the General Edwin D. Patrick, for a 144,000 mile cruise moving troops and dependents here and there throughout the Pacific. The General Edwin D. Patrick is the sole remaining ship afloat today in the Admiral class and is notable for its longevity as a troopship participating in WWII, the Korean, and Vietnam wars. Following this year of sea duty, Lieutenant Spaulding was reassigned to Moffitt Naval Air Station in Sunnyvale, CA where again he served as a general medical officer. Following his active duty he remained in the Reserves until 1966.

Marriage to a good-looking gal named Geneva from Kingsport, Tennessee who was working in the jewelry business soon followed. They took their vows at St. Francis Xavier Japanese Mission Church at
the corner of Octavia and Pine in San Francisco on December 2, 1961. The next day, they enjoyed a nice breakfast at the Fairmount Hotel and then took off for a 10-day Honeymoon in the Hawaiian Islands.

Having obtained a residency in ophthalmology at Cincinnati General Hospital Dr. Spaulding resigned his commission in the regular Navy and moved to the Avondale area near Veteran's Hospital. He completed the residency after three years of hard work and study. In 1965, a National Institutes of Health Special Fellowship allowed him to pursue research and further study in ophthalmic pathology at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. After entertaining offers from Chicago, Kansas City, Seattle, and Charleston, a return to Cincinnati followed with the establishment of a half-time clinical practice in Mt. Washington. He also accepted a half-time position in the College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati. Duties in the Department of Ophthalmology included instructing residents and medical students, assisting in surgery, clinical research, and processing and interpreting ocular tissue specimens received from locally and nationally located physicians by the Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory. Selecting, teaching, and counseling over 99 individuals in the residency program over the years was a highlight of his career. As coaching trees go, he noted that there is a very deep degree of satisfaction in this type of undertaking.

The office practice grew from a solo operation at the foot of the Mt. Washington Water Tower on Campus lane to two doctors in 1972, when the Burger King was purchased at 7815 Beechmont Avenue and converted into the new office of Anderson Hills Eye Associates. The group grew to five physicians and included many more wonderful people on staff over the years. The original practice was eventually merged into Tri State Eye Care, a regional association of 23 eye physicians. Dr. Spaulding retired from private office practice in March 1999, only to return in a part-time capacity several years later. Likewise, he retired from the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati in September 2000, only to return there in a part-time capacity in March 2003-eventually becoming Emeritus Professor of Ophthalmology. He took great pride in his near 50 year association with both U.C and his private practice.

He was divorced from his wife of 38 years in November 1999. Over the next decade of retirement he traveled the world and shot numerous pictures of his travels from faraway lands which he loved to share annually in his famous Christmas cards. If you were fortunate to be on the list (which ran into the thousands), you felt like you took the trip with him.

Professionally Dr. Spaulding was a member of: The American College of Surgeons (credential review committee), The American Medical Association, The Ohio State Medical Association, The Cincinnati Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Ophthalmology (Fellow & longest serving Councilor), Ohio Ophthalmological Society (member-delegate and President), Cincinnati Society of Ophthalmology (many years as the Secretary-Treasurer), American Association of Ophthalmic Pathologists (Charter Member), Midwest Ophthalmic Pathology Society, AFIP Ophthalmic Pathology Alumni Association, American Eye Study Club (limited to 55 members), American Ophthalmological Society (limited to 250 members),

For over three decades he was active with the Cincinnati Eye Bank for Sight Restoration and was the Ohio Chairman of the National Eye Care Project designed to help the nation's elderly and needy with their eye problems. He was also on the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Mercy Hospital Anderson. He was also appointed an Associate Examiner of the American Board of Ophthalmology. The best part of serving in these capacities was having the opportunity to meet and develop friendships with the wonderful people in the community and in the field of ophthalmology.

If not practicing medicine or teaching, Dr. Spaulding might be found swinging at a tennis or golf ball, feeding his roses, driving his Morgan Roadster, traveling, casting for bass, or, in later years, brunching at Coldstream Country Club where he enjoyed his namesake dish, the "Spaulding Spuds" and entertaining friends and family with his many stories.

He is survived by his beloved children: daughter, Teresa Ann of Cincinnati, and sons, Edward Devon (Kari) of Wilder, KY, Frederick Dodd (Janet) of Bridgetown, OH, and Abbot Gregory II (Tricia) of Williamsburg, VA; and grandchildren, Kathy, Taylor, Jordan, Alex, Maggie, Elizabeth, Brennan, Luke, and Wesley.

Visitation is at T.P. White & Sons Funeral Home 2050 Beechmont Ave. in Mt. Washington on June 9, from 5-8 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. John Fisher on June 10, at 10:00 a.m., in Newtown, OH. Memorial donations may be made in Dr. Spaulding's name to the Spaulding Family Trust at St. Xavier High School, 600 W North Bend Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45224.

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