William C. Frayer, 91, retired Scheie ophthalmologist

William C. Frayer, 91, of Bryn Mawr, a professor emeritus of ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania, died Tuesday, Jan. 17, at home from complications of cancer.

Dr. Frayer worked for more than a half-century in the ophthalmology department "during a critical time of medical change and ophthalmic discovery," Joan O'Brien, chairwoman of the department at Penn's Scheie Eye Institute, wrote in a recent tribute.

It quoted Dr. Frayer as saying, "Our daily contact with patients remains the single most gratifying part of being an ophthalmologist. No matter how elaborate our systems have become, this interaction between doctor and patient remains the most significant part of our lives."

Dr. Frayer grew up in Ann Arbor, Mich. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1943 from Brown University and a medical degree in 1945 from the University of Michigan. From 1946 to 1948, he served as an Army captain.

He joined the faculty of the Penn School of Medicine in 1952 after completing a dual residency in ophthalmology and pathology.

Dr. Frayer left Penn in 1964 to join the faculty of Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine.

In 1972, however, he returned to help launch the Scheie Eye Institute, founded by Harold G. Scheie, a renowned ophthalmologist who developed surgical techniques to treat cataracts and glaucoma.

When Scheie died in 1990, Dr. Frayer told The Inquirer he had worked as a resident for Scheie and considered him a mentor. They had been colleagues for 40 years.

Dr. Frayer twice was interim chairman of the institute. He also was the longtime director of the institute's ophthalmic pathology laboratory, which now bears his name.

After becoming emeritus professor in 1991, Dr. Frayer continued to attend Grand Rounds and faculty meetings, consulting and advising faculty and residents.

The author of numerous medical articles, Dr. Frayer wrote a history of ophthalmology at Penn, Ophthalmic Journey, 50 Years at the University of Pennsylvania, published in 2002. He and his son, William J., cowrote a scientific paper published in 2004 in the Archives of Ophthalmology.

From 1969 to 1991, Dr. Frayer directed a summer course in ophthalmic pathology at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Since his retirement, he and his wife, Joy Ferrara Frayer, spent part of the year in Waldoboro, Maine.

Besides ophthalmology, his passion was painting, his family said. An accomplished artist, his watercolor landscapes of Maine and coastal New England have been exhibited in juried shows and other venues in Maine and the Philadelphia area. He was a member of the Philadelphia Sketch Club.

He and his wife were patrons of the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Walnut Street Theatre, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.

In addition to his wife and son, Dr. Frayer is survived by sons Brackley and Frederick; stepdaughters Beth McDevitt and Joanne Munsell; two sisters; 11 grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter. He is predeceased by a former wife, Penelope Shaw Frayer.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 19 S. 22d St.