Dr. Donald Willard
Donald E. Willard, Jr., MD, known to friends as “Doc,” passed away Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at age 93. A board-certified ophthalmologist, he practiced in Easton, Pennsylvania, for 36 years, retiring at age 80 in 2013.
In 1965, Don and his wife of nearly 70 years, Margaret “Peggy” Tait Willard, settled in an old Victorian farmhouse on a modest farm in Finesville, New Jersey, midway between New York and Philadelphia. Over the years, Don designed and built additions to the original house, enlarging it to accommodate their family of five children, and he expanded and improved the farm as adjacent land became available. Don and Peggy lived on the farm until the end of their days, supported and cared for in their later years by their daughters, dedicated caregivers, friends, and other family members.
Early Life and Education
Born in Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1933 to Donald E. Willard and Esther Gobble Willard, Don was the eldest of four brothers. Don developed an interest in agriculture during summers spent working on his paternal grandparents’ farm in Middletown, Maryland, which had been in the family since their German ancestors purchased the land in the 1870s. His mother’s German ancestors settled in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia where some became coal miners. Despite the hardships of the Great Depression and World War II, Don’s father and mother both graduated from college. They instilled in their sons a deep appreciation for education. The legacy of his family heritage shaped Don’s strong work ethic, resilience, and resourcefulness. He took pride in being the latest ‘firstborn child of a firstborn child’, part of an unbroken succession spanning six consecutive generations of his father’s family and he was determined to exceed his family’s expectations of him.
Don graduated from Baltimore City College at 16 with perfect school attendance from kindergarten through graduation. He earned a BA in English at the University of Maryland, where he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity, excelled in pole vaulting, track, and swimming, and served as senior-class vice president. He graduated from Jefferson Medical College (now Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University) in Philadelphia in 1958 with one young daughter in tow and another on the way. He moved his growing family to New York where he interned at New York Hospital in 1959 and completed his ophthalmology residency at Downstate Medical Center–Kings County Hospital from 1963 to 1968, serving as chief resident his final year.
Service in the United States Navy Medical Corps delayed his residency training; he trained as a flight surgeon, rose to the rank of lieutenant commander, and served during the Cuban Missile Crisis. During residency, he also earned a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Drexel University in 1967, becoming one of the inaugural graduates of the university’s pioneering degree program.
A Career in Ophthalmology and Surgical Innovation
Following his training, Don spent ten years in academic medicine, teaching and advancing the field of ophthalmology. He served as an assistant professor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center from 1968 to 1974 and as an associate professor and co-chair of the department of ophthalmology at Temple University from 1974 to 1977. In 1977, he left academia to establish a private practice in Easton, Pennsylvania.
He was chief of ophthalmology at Easton Hospital and an attending ophthalmologist at Muhlenberg Hospital. In the early 80s, he bought the historic Hay Elementary School (circa 1915), near Easton Hospital, and converted it into a medical arts center with state-of-the-art facilities and suites for other specialties. Don never advertised his practice; patients sought him out for his expertise, reputation, and dedication to their care, some traveling long distances or from other countries to consult him.
When Don entered the field of ophthalmology, the operating microscope was beginning to revolutionize eye surgery in Europe. While still in his residency, he recognized the extraordinary potential of the microscope and traveled to Germany to observe advances in microsurgery and microinstrumentation firsthand. In 1966, he purchased a surgical microscope and brought it to the United States to use for ophthalmic surgery, helping usher in a new era of precision in eye surgery. Its use was soon adopted by other specialists.
Don became a pioneer in ophthalmic microsurgery, using the surgical microscope to develop new methods for performing cataract, glaucoma, and corneal surgery. He designed his own instruments and contributed to the development of other microsurgical instruments and sutures as a consultant to medical device companies.
A passionate educator, Don developed a systematic approach to teaching microsurgical techniques and shared his expertise with surgeons around the world. He delivered 75 lectures at professional meetings throughout the United States, Mexico, Europe, and the Middle East, and conducted 68 hands-on continuing education courses and workshops for practicing ophthalmologists. He was also an invited visiting professor at numerous universities in the United States and at the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan. Through these programs, he taught more than 3,000 eye surgeons to operate using the surgical microscope.
Don was also a founding member of the Ophthalmic Microsurgery Study Group (now the International Ophthalmic Microsurgery Study Group), which brings microsurgeons together to advance ophthalmic microsurgical techniques, and a founding member of the Castroviejo Society (now the Cornea Society), which brings ophthalmologists together to advance the understanding and treatment of corneal and anterior-segment diseases. He also volunteered with Orbis, the Flying Eye Hospital, on one of its early missions.
Through his pioneering work, commitment to education, and dedication to improving surgical practice, Don mentored hundreds of students, educators, and ophthalmologists, helping advance ophthalmic microsurgery and extend its benefits to generations of surgeons and their patients.
A Life Rooted in Farming and Community
Beyond medicine, Don was deeply committed to agriculture and rural preservation. When development threatened Pohatcong Township, Don ran for office and served on the planning board. He helped make local government more responsive to preserving the township’s rural character. In 2004, Don and Peggy preserved their farm, joining others in the Musconetcong Valley to help keep the area rural and productive for future generations.
Near retirement age, Don developed an interest in viticulture, attending conferences and studying vineyard management in California, Australia, and France. In the early ‘90’s, he established Mountain Road Vineyard, LLC. At its peak, the 29-acre artisanal vineyard produced 70,000 pounds of grapes annually, including Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir. Wine made from his Pinot Noir grapes by Unionville Winery won an international gold medal award.
Don worked in the vineyard every day after returning home from seeing patients, combining his professional life with his love of the land and helping sustain the active lifestyle he maintained for so many years.
He offered employment opportunities on the farm and vineyard to anyone who asked for work and freely shared his wisdom and advice with them. Over the years, many young people from the surrounding community, as well as a few retirees, worked on his farm, gaining experience and learning from his example.
Don Willard was a true Renaissance man: highly educated and self-taught, a master of multiple disciplines, a free thinker, an athlete, and a gentleman who traveled the world and enjoyed music. He was also a country boy at heart: a farmer dressed in faded blue jeans, a frayed button-down shirt with worn out elbows, and a tattered old cap, reading the Lancaster Farmer over a cup of coffee. He was an extraordinary man who led an extraordinary life, may he rest in peace.
Family and Survivors
Don was predeceased by his parents, Donald E. Willard and Esther Gobble Willard; wife, Margaret Tait Willard; daughter, Kathryn Romberger; and brother, Joseph Willard.
He is survived by his daughter, Dr. Cynthia Willard-Mack; son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Brian and Louanne Willard; daughters and sons-in-law, Martha and David Fritz, and Evelyn Willard and David Rothery; brother and sister-in-law, Thomas and Sandy Willard; brother, John Willard; sister-in-law, Angelica Willard; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial Service
A memorial service celebrating Don’s life will be held on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 305 Delaware Road, Riegelsville, Pennsylvania 18077. Visitation begins at 1:00 p.m.; the service follows at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made in Don’s memory to Orbis, home of the Flying Eye Hospital, at www.orbis.org.