OMAHA, Neb.—Dr. Stanley Malashock, founder of Malbar Vision and International Contact Lens, passed away Jan. 29, 2021, according to an announcement by the company. Dr. Malashock, who was 94, opened Malashock Optical in 1950 in Omaha, Neb., in a separate dedicated space within his family’s famed jewelry store bearing the same family name.
After 15 years of competition and observation, however, he determined that a unique practice name independent of the practitioner could add differentiation and value to the practice especially when it came time to change ownership.

He created the name Malbar Vision by combining his last name with his wife’s first name, Barbara. Malbar Vision has long been known for thorough vision and eyecare. The practice promoted its motto, “The difference is clear. The difference is care” to describe the Malbar brand. This is the principle applied to everything the practice did. Malbar Vision grew to a multi-doctor, five-location practice in the Omaha metro area. (It became part of the AEG Vision group in 2017.)

Dr. Malashock’s sons, Neal Malashock, OD, and Larry Malashock, OD, acquired the practice in 1988. Dr. Malashock was an early innovator of franchising for optometry and in 1973 founded Omaha-based International Contact Lens, which developed practices in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota.

At the same time, he pioneered and promoted doctor cooperatives optimizing buying power and educational opportunities.

A forward-thinking professional, Dr. Malashock developed innovative patient-recall type communication long before it became the standard in all-modern practices and was the first to use electronic forms to capture and analyze patient data. Described by his peers as a “charismatic presence,” Dr. Malashock understood early on that in order to deliver excellent health care a successful practitioner also needed to keep a close eye on the business principles underlying their practice.

Dr. Malashock leaves a legacy of a visionary who, through his actions and advocacy, directly and indirectly inspired hundreds of optometrists who came after him.