Dr. Harvey Mark Rosenwasser's Obituary
Dr. Harvey Mark Rosenwasser
(May 10, 1933 – July 8, 2015)
Harvey Rosenwasser passed away on July 8, 2015, at his home at the Ocean Club in Key Biscayne, Florida. He was not ill and his death was sudden and unexpected.
Harvey was born to Samuel and Helen (nee Engelhart) Rosenwasser and raised in North Bergen New Jersey. He attended the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and commissioned to the US Army and provided active service in Korea from 1956-1958 as a First Lieutenant. Harvey collapsed suddenly at his computer, where so many of us received a daily dose of outrage and analyses of injustice in the world, a ready ear and pragmatic solutions to family and community needs, and always a pun to leave us laughing. On his screen was his recently completed book, about his years of military service, soon to be published.
Harvey met his wife Ruth 60 years ago on a Memorial Day weekend in Atlantic City and they just celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary in June. He was a loving, caring, supportive husband who shared many interests in common with Ruth: music, art, travel, politics, and passion for Israel. His pride was his three daughters on whom he doted and spoiled. They regularly turned to their father for wise council and he became their greatest role model. His adored and mentored his four grandchildren, always ready to show people his latest photos of them.
As a Doctor of Optometry, he had a successful 40-year career in Philadelphia as a specialist in contact lenses and subnormal vision. A meticulous doctor, he was most loved for his sincere caring and treating the whole patient, not only their eyes. His patients valued him and continued to keep in touch with him long after retirement. He published numerous professional articles and lectured at seminars on patient practice and contact lenses. While in Philadelphia, he was a clinical examiner for the National Board of Examiners in Optometry and wrote some of the content for the examination. He was the Vice President of the European Optometric Society for 18 years, bringing together doctors throughout Europe to share best practices and the latest research. He is the author of 2 books on clinical care, one co-authored with his daughter, Beth Rosenwasser.
As a Key Biscayne, Florida, resident, Harvey was an active communitarian, holding many roles involved with the village and his residence at Ocean Club: Vice President the OCCA Board, Club Towers Board Member for more than 10 years, Club Tower Three Voting Representative, and Executive Director and co-founder of the Key Biscayne Condominium Presidents’ Council. He created the Festival of Seven Arts at the Ocean Club. He was a tireless and dedicated advocate for all of his causes. Letters to the editor were regularly published in papers including the Key Biscayne Islander, the Miami Herald, and the New York Times. He was the dynamic force behind many of the positive changes in his community.
Most people know Harvey as an avid lover of jazz and the arts. He played piano and flute but his favorite was the tenor saxophone that he had studied weekly for 20 years, even playing at local jazz club improv nights. He was also creative in the visual arts and many of us are lucky to have a Neville-wasser, Cornell-wasser or Stella-wasser in their homes. He called them his ‘homages to....’. Later he produced truly creative Harvey-wassers.
Through all of these many achievements in family, career, and community, Harvey will be most remembered for his curiosity in people of all kinds and his ability to truly connect whether in person or over the internet. His much anticipated steady stream of emails, blog posts, texts, and letters were insightful and created passionate exchanges worldwide. The void left from his lack of regular correspondences will make his passing more poignant.
As a strong supporter of the State of Israel and his Jewish identity, his family would appreciate donations made in his memory to the Jewish National Fund http://www.jnf.org.
Harvey is survived by his wife Ruth, his daughters, Beth Rosenwasser, Rachel Ryder and Jennifer Highman, son-in law, Howard Highman and 2 granddaughters, Lily and Ginger Highman and two grandsons, Ben and Samuel Weissman. He was predeceased by his sister, Marian Ginsberg.
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