Paul F. Dice Jr., Veterinarian Who Pioneered Eye Care

Paul F. Dice Jr., a compassionate veterinarian and competitive horseman who treated eye problems in everything from dogs to orcas, filled a large need in Seattle.

The Animal Eye Clinic he founded brought healing or the ability to cope to many creatures and their people.

Cats and dogs, as well as snakes and apes at Woodland Park Zoo were under his care. A blind dog he treated went on to win obedience trials. Other animals helped him pioneer the use of a human-eye cataract-dissolving machine on animal cataracts.

"(Paul had) fever for his world, lots of enthusiasm for his subject," said veterinarian Joe Bergevin. "He wanted to save an eye, . . . (and) he was super-special about getting back to his referral veterinarian and his client with a thank-you note. His ethics were superior to any."

Dr. Dice and clinic colleagues keep an album of owners' snapshots of their blind pets, plus notes of thanks and progress reports.

"He was just well-regarded in the veterinary community," said clinic colleague Thomas Sullivan. "Also personally. I never heard anyone say anything negative about him."

Dr. Dice died Thursday (July 15) of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was 59.

His professional manner extended to his hobby: horsemanship. He had been a rider since his boyhood in South Williamsport, Pa., where he mucked stalls to help pay board on his first horse. He rode horses that were among the Top 10 working cow-horses at the 1997 and 1998 American Quarter Horse Association World Show in Oklahoma City.

He also enjoyed boating.

"He was a perfectionist with a tremendous zest for life but a competitor with a nice nature," said his wife of 16 years, Loye Dice of Snohomish. "How I met him was, I had an Arabian (horse) with a cedar sliver in her eye. I hauled her into town for him to examine out in the alley behind the clinic."

Dr. Dice earned his degree in veterinary medicine in 1965 at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a varsity wrestler and football player.

He interned in New York City and served in the Army veterinary corps. He earned a surgeon's degree at Colorado State University in 1970.

He opened his practice at Green Lake Animal Hospital in Seattle in 1970 and the clinic on Roosevelt Way Northeast in 1992.

"He was a huge contributor to veterinary medicine," Sullivan said. "He had clients in Eastern Washington and Alaska, but he was the eye specialist in Seattle."

Dr. Dice gave Keiko one of his last exams before the famous whale shipped out to Iceland.

"He examined Keiko in the aquarium," Sullivan said. "The trainer had to bring the whale up on the platform for the exam, and Keiko behaved beautifully."

Also surviving are his son from an earlier marriage, Paul F. Dice III of Magnolia, N.J.; stepchildren Laura Jordan, Belmont, Calif.; Theresa Jordan, Pocatello, Idaho; and Kristina Jordan Cobarrubia, San Diego; sisters Carole Steiger, Williamsport, Pa.; Cindy Geraghty, Frederick, Md.; and four grandchildren.

Services are at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Everett Yacht Club, Port of Everett, 404 14th St., Everett.

Donations may go to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1124 Columbia St., Seattle, WA 98104, or to Lymphoma Research, Virginia Mason Foundation, 1218 Terry Ave., Seattle, WA 98101.