The voice of the braggart is often muted by the deeds of the quiet man. Such a quiet man was Dr. James DeClue who was laid to rest on November 22, 2011. I had the privilege of knowing Dr. DeClue for over 3 decades. He was a motivator and an inspiration for all who were fortunate to interact with him. Without question, I would not be an optometrist today had it not been for the trail he blazed.

I first met Dr. DeClue in the mid 70’s. He started working on me then to go back to school and become an optometrist. But I would have no part of it, rebellious know-it-all that I was. I finally completed optometry school 20 years later and often wonder how much more successful I would have been had I done as he suggested in the beginning of my career in the optical business.

Of the many pearls of wisdom he imparted on me, two resonated deeply and remain a part of me today. The first occurred around 1978. We were working at a well known optical shop in St. Louis. I was an optician and he had an office within the facility. One day he asked me what time I got up that morning. I replied that I got up at the same time almost every day, about seven o’clock. He said, “Do you know that by the time you got up there were people in Ladue (an affluent St. Louis suburb) who had been planning your life for over two hours?” His point, of course, was that I and other young black men needed to become proactive in determining our fates.

The second pearl of wisdom was imparted when I asked him why he didn’t run for office given his zeal for politics, his grasp of local and world events and his popularity with the community. He looked at me and said, “Bob, it’s more important to be a king maker than a king.”

Space will not allow me to write all that I’d like to say about Dr. DeClue. I have provided a link to his obituary where you can read about the highlights of his life. It too falls short of describing the impact he had on all who knew him. A day has not passed without someone calling or stopping by my office to ask a question or provide a tidbit of information about him. As I wrote in another forum, I have a personal and professional philosophy that “Blindness is not a loss of sight but a loss of vision”. Optometrists are trained to provide patients with the best sight possible. Dr. DeClue not only helped countless patients and others with their sight, he taught them to make the most of their vision.

While some people find it necessary to speak loudly about their accomplishments, the deeds of quiet men like Dr. DeClue are more easily recognized and appreciated. Their longevity and relevance to the betterment of society will always silence the braggart.

Dr. Robert E. Smith