Henry Clayman M.D.'s Obituary
Henry M. Clayman, M.D., youngest son of Hyman Clayman and Stella nee Ricklow, brother of Alex and Ben and predeceased before he was born by brother Michael, born and raised in London, England on December 3, 1937 passed away on June 19th at 85 years of age. Brilliant, kind, erudite, opinionated, highly talented, hard-working, and inventive, leaves in his reflection, thousands of individuals who see better because of his inventions of the intraocular lenses which he pioneered in spirit and in deed as well as all of us who loved and adored him.
Henry traveled to New York City when he was 20 years of age making his way to the New World. He drove a cab, worked in the men's department of a Manhattan store, lived in the Young Men's Hebrew Association 'the Y" in Manhattan and was a union tailor on his way to his degree from Hunter College and then medical school as a recipient of the Jonas Salk Scholarship. When he informed the shop steward that he was giving up his union card and was asked why, his response of "I'm going to Medical School", the nonplussed union reply was "Oh, we've never had that happen before."
He settled in Miami to complete his residency at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute after spending his internship year at the University of Wisconsin where his daughter Deborah was born. Then New Orleans where he was drafted by the U.S. Army and worked in infectious diseases where his daughter Cindy was born and in Miami where his daughter Sharon was born.
A pioneer in cataract surgery, Henry testified in Congress, and as a leader in the profession traveled internationally teaching other eye surgeons as Henry would say: "See one, do one, teach one".
His published works, textbooks, manuscripts, scholarly articles, and lectures are part of his impressive CV but simple words on a paper listing accomplishments of a scholar with world-class surgical skills are silent as to what made him the Henry who was beloved by his wife Silvana, daughters Deborah Kainen, Cindy Clayman and Sharon Clayman of blessed memory "Z" "L", his grandsons Elan Kainen, Samuel Kainen, Daniel Dana and Eduardo Dana as well as his son-in-law Dennis Kainen, nieces, nephews, and cousins in the U.K., Israel, the U.S. and so many others who have repeatedly said "what a kind and brilliant man".
Living through the horrors of 20th Century Europe as well as the establishment of the State of Israel which he loved, medical improvements in sight, the life-altering tragedy of the loss of sweet Sharon and what Henry called the "bumps and grinds of life" while remembering as a 3 year old the air battle fought over Britain, he always knew that so much in our human condition is serendipitous.
Though serendipity might exist, Henry left nothing to chance when as a mensch some years ago he conceived, created and financed the restoration and rededication of the Jewish Cemetery in Arequipa, Peru which included the singing of the Israeli National Anthem in Hebrew and Spanish by local musicians.
He exercised throughout his life appreciating the importance of weight training and diet, enjoyed travel, spoke languages as a polyglot, loved his family. The loss is profoundly felt for a life well-lived.
Service will be at Beth Moshe Congregation, 2225 N.E. 121 Street, North Miami at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Burial will follow immediately at Lakeside Memorial Park, 10301 N.W. 25 Street, Miami, Florida. Arrangements by Levitt-Weinstein Blasberg-Rubin-Zilbert Memorial Chapel (305) 932-2700
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