In Memory: James Bradford Ruben, Age 65
James Bradford Ruben, a pediatric ophthalmologist who spent 28 years treating children at the Permanente Medical Group, died on August 27 after a long journey with thyroid cancer. He was 65 years old.
Ruben joined Permanente in 1990 and was one of the Sacramento area’s first fellowship-trained pediatric ophthalmologists and specialists in the treatment of adults with strabismus — a crossed or misaligned eye. He served as a clinical professor at the University of California at Davis.
Ruben co-authored dozens of peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and served as an investigator for studies related to the treatment of amblyopia. He also co-authored the first US publication on laser surgery for the treatment of eye disease linked to premature birth and was a pioneer in intraocular lens placement for cataract surgery in children.
He served as president of the California Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons and as chairman of the pediatric-ophthalmology section of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Ruben is also a former board member of the Permanente Medical Group, the largest physician-run medical group in the US, and served as a director of the Sacramento Sierra Medical Society.
Ruben was born on Dec. 21, 1958, in Queens, New York. He attended Rye High School in Rye, New York, and received his bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Colorado, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He undertook his internship training in internal medicine at the University of California at Davis, along with his residency in ophthalmology. He received his fellowship training at the University of Iowa.
Ruben was an avid alpine skier, squash player and enjoyed woodworking and gardening. He is survived by his wife, Judi Weinstein-Ruben, a nurse; his sister, Pam Golum; three children, Eric Ruben, Elisa Ruben and Michelle Van Grouw; two grandchildren, Sophia and Lucas Ruben, and his father, Robert J. Ruben.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the UC Davis Eye Center’s Pediatric Ophthalmology Service, an affiliate program of the UC Davis Children’s Hospital; and Shriners Hospitals for Children.
