Terry J. Bergstrom (M.D. 1965, Residency 1969, Fellowship 1975), professor emeritus of ophthalmology and visual sciences, died June 23, 2019, at the age of 85. Bergstrom completed four years of military service as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force (USAF), and over the course of his 26-year career, he served as a flight surgeon and completed his residency in ophthalmology at U-M. He served as chief ophthalmologist at March Air Force Base in California, and at the USAF Hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany. He also served as director of residency at Wilford Hall Medical Center in Texas. He was a recipient of the Legion of Merit award when he retired from the military as a colonel.
In 1980, Bergstrom returned to his alma mater and joined the staff at the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, where he practiced for 24 years and continued to work as an emeritus professor. Bergstrom's numerous accomplishments include serving as chief of glaucoma service, chief of low vision service, and chief of general ophthalmology at U-M. He also served as chief of ophthalmology at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. He was the recipient of many awards, including Lifetime Honorary Faculty Member, being ranked in the top 25 ophthalmologists in the nation, and the Kaiser-Permanente Award for Excellence in Teaching, and was the author of numerous publications.
Bergstrom's legacy lives on through his passion for teaching. After receiving the U-M Medical School Teaching Award for 14 years in a row, it was officially renamed by the residents in his honor. An endowed professorship was also created in his name.
This obituary was adapted from one originally published in the Traverse City Record-Eagle.