I was born in Brooklyn, NY & moved to Hicksville in 1951, parents were Mildred & Philip Kearney, & am the oldest of seven children. Attended St Ignatius Elementary School & then went to St Dominic's HS for 2 years, transferring to Hicksville HS in 1957.
After graduation I served as an apprentice optician, and became a licensed ophthalmic dispenser a year later, working for Higgins & Beckett Opticians of Hempstead & Hicksville. Attended Nassau Community College, going to night school for 3 years. Married Lois Ann Emmerich, a registered nurse, in 1964 after a delightful whirlwind courtship. Lived with Lois in Smithtown for a year. Attended Queens College, in the General Studies night school program majoring in Biology & Psychology.
In 1966, I enlisted in the US Army, as an optical specialist, attaining the rank of Spec.5 after 18 months. Served for three years at Fitzsimmons Hospital, Denver; Walson Army hospital, Fort Dix, N.J.; and ran an optical lab in the 44th Medical Brigade in the republic of South Vietnam. Our first son Philip was born in 1967. Received an honorable military discharge in 1968 & we moved to Commack NY. Then from 1970-74, I attended the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia, PA, receiving my BS degree in 1972. Our second son Michael was born in 1973. Received my Doctor of Optometry degree in 1974.
Upon graduating, we moved to Latrobe, Pa where I joined a multidisciplinary ophthalmology-optometry practice. Then In 1977 I opened a single practitioner optometry practice in Mt Pleasant, Pa., specializing in contact lenses, orthoptics, low vision rehabilitation, and orthokeratology, and developed the Emcee & Falcon Ortho-K therapeutic contact lenses. That work was a great personal fulfillment for many years. I closed that professional office & semi-retired from optometry in 2000. Following that I trained in clinical therapeutic hypnotherapy, & then conducted a practice in that specialty until 2007, specializing in comprehensive cognitive and emotional healing. In my therapy practice I developed a number of self-healing techniques for cognitive & emotional discomforts, which culminated in the process of "Self-Healing In Inner Awareness". This allows people to recover from many inner discomforts completely on their own.
My wife Lois was part of my eye practice for 15 years, a fine homemaker as well, and then became an accomplished watercolor artist. She was a member of the Pittsburgh Watercolor Society & co-director of the Latrobe art center. Her enthusiasm sparked an interest in fine art & encouraged me to pursue ceramic pottery making as a hobby. She was a delight in my life, a great mother to our sons, and provided me with a very happy marriage of some 44 years. In 2008, she passed away, succumbing to multiple infirmities after a prolonged illness.
At the present time, I still do occasional eye exams, make lots of earthenware pottery, and privately conduct therapeutic hypnotherapy & mind-body healing research. I have a therapeutic website under "drphilkearney", and chat all the time with friends on my "Phil Kearney" facebook page. Warmest regards to all of my fellow '59 graduates.
