PARIS—The chairwoman of Silmo Paris, Amélie Morel, and the Silmo executive board were sad to learn of the passing of Bernard Maitenaz. Calling him "the clairvoyant," they noted, "he was an extraordinary figure whose contributions to eye health are acclaimed by the entire profession."They issued a salute yesterday to Maitenaz, the inventor of the Varilux progressive lens that improved the lives of millions of presbyopes globally and redefined an entire industry, as VMAIL reported earlier this week.

Morel and Silmo said, "Lively and open-minded, a pioneer and a visionary, Bernard Maitenaz was always eager to share his knowledge, speak with colleagues, and take an enthusiastic view of the future.

"He was close to the industry, and he was close to Silmo. From the launch of the first Silmo d’Or awards in 1994, he worked diligently as a panel member, bringing his keen expertise to the 'lenses' category. When the Silmo Academy was founded in 2010, he assiduously participated in the Scientific Council, serving the vision sciences with acumen and clairvoyance.

"An enthusiastic researcher who was always looking forward, Bernard Maitenaz was sincerely involved in our industry, and he will be sorely missed by the professionals who were fortunate to work by his side. The whole Silmo team pays tribute to this great man."

Silmo's statement linked to the special tribute video that Essilor posted about Maitenaz.