David Paton (ophthalmologist)

David Paton (August 16, 1930 – April 3, 2025) was an American ophthalmologist best known as founder in 1970 of Project Orbis (now named Orbis International, Inc.) and thereafter as its first medical director helping to develop (1970–1982) and then deploy its teaching aircraft for ophthalmologists worldwide, especially in the developing nations. Paton resigned from Orbis in 1987 and focused on other aspects of academic ophthalmology, but in 2011 he returned in a voluntary capacity to assist in fund raising for a new annual appointment, the David Paton Orbis Fellowship in Global Ophthalmology. Dr David Paton passed away on April 3rd, 2025. He was 94 years old. I speak for the entire Orbis International family when I say “We’ll miss you, David.”