For Immediate Release – July 15, 2023

Dr. Robert W. Brenart Retiring from Clinic August 31, 2023

Brenart Eye Clinic’s founding optometrist, Dr. Robert W. Brenart, is retiring from the practice effective August 31, 2023. A formal communication was issued to patients sharing the news and extending an invitation to celebrate his legacy at an open house planned in August.

DR. BRENART’S RETIREMENT OPEN HOUSE & RSVP LINK

Join us to honor and celebrate the 45-year legacy of Brenart Eye Clinics’ founder, Robert W. Brenart, O.D. We’re inviting our staff, close friends, colleagues and all of our beloved patients to gather “Under the Tent” on Saturday August 12th, 2023 from 2-5pm to give “Doc” a proper sendoff.

We’ll be serving up complimentary lunch to all guests which will feature a food truck featuring jerk chicken tacos, jerk chicken salad and organic beef hot dogs. And because we know that no summer party is complete without ice cream, we’re having an ice cream truck providing some cool and tasty treats for the crowd. We are asking guests to RSVP to help ensure an accurate food count. RSVP Here

MORE ABOUT OUR FOUNDER

Robert W. Brenart, OD, a long-time resident of Yorkville, IL, is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. He received his Doctor of Optometry from Illinois College of Optometry, ICO. During his tenure at ICO, he was a member of the prestigious Gold Key Society.

Dr. Brenart has lectured extensively on contact lens and refractive surgery. He is also a member of VOSH, a charitable organization that provides vision care and glasses at no charge to developing countries. He has been part of missions to many countries throughout South and Central America and Africa. Most recently he volunteered for “Climb for Sight,” where he raised funds for the children of Guatemala by reaching the summit of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro.

Dr. Brenart is also very active in his community and has served on various boards and philanthropic organizations including the Yorkville School Board, District 115; the Yorkville Economic Development Committee; the Yorkville Lions Club, as well as the chair of the Illinois School District Agency.

On August 31, 2023, Dr. Brenart will officially hand over the baton to his daughter, Dr. Nicole Zangler and son, Dr. Robert F. Brenart, who will continue to lead the practice providing “compassionate quality eye care close to home.”

THE CLINIC’S RICH HISTORY
Reflections by Dr. Nicole Brenart Zangler

“My grandfather, Walter Brenart, started his practice on the south side of Chicago near Midway Airport. He was one of the first optometrists to work in a medical school, the Chicago School of Medicine. Dr. Walter Brenart was also one of the first to integrate ophthalmology and optometry into a more holistic model. He collaborated with Dr William Fagman, a new resident out of school in the 1960’s. Dr. Fagman joined the Chicago optometric clinic bringing his extensive ophthalmological knowledge and surgical skills to the practice.

Later, my father Robert W. Brenart, joined my grandfather at his Chicago clinic. By the time my father had graduated from optometry school, he already had two children, myself, and my sister Rachel. However, if I reflect further on my dad’s childhood, it’s important to mention that by third grade he was enrolled in boarding school in hopes to get the education he desired for his future. My father realized as a young man that family and community were extremely important to him, he looked to move to Yorkville as a community that also shared these same values. This is why we moved here in the mid-1970’s. By this time, my brother Robert was born and my father strongly desired to serve the local community where he lived. As a result, he founded Brenart Eye Clinic in 1978. The clinic started in the walkout basement of our Yorkville ranch house, which was also partly my bedroom. I remember my father working three jobs at the time: serving patients in Yorkville at our home clinic, serving patients in Chicago with our grandfather, and serving patients in Peoria fitting specialty contact lenses. Our family recalls the memories of him flying a small plane back and forth from one job to another to serve his patients.

As his practice grew in Yorkville, my dad moved the clinic out of our home and into the bank building. Soon after, he hired his first associate, Dr. Lisa Morris. Dr. William Fagman expanded his practice and joined my father. With their skills and the supportive patient following they decided to move the practice into a larger space, the clinics’ current “718 Pediatrics” building. Here, they finally had three exam lanes and were able to hire another associate, Dr. Ross Mlsna.

It was the ongoing support of the Yorkville community, through the local schools, our church, and our friends and neighbors that made my father’s vision of compassionate and exceptional eye care a reality. I joined the practice in 1998. Fresh out of school along with my husband, Tony Zangler, who continues to serve as our CFO, we pursue my fathers’ same vision. Another fun fact is that Tonys’ grandfather was also an optometrist! It seems to run in the family.

With a passion for quality eyecare, our families merged dreams in 1998 and constructed two office buildings where Brenart Eye Clinic is located today in 2023. At the time of the buildouts, our clinic only occupied one-half of the building, leasing the other space to another local business. However, our practice continued to grow so rapidly we expanded into the rest of the building and brought more and more talented doctors and staff into our family practice. First, Dr. Michael Sperlakis, then Dr. Caryn La Buda, then Dr. Kristin Nelson and Dr. Rodriguez. And of course, there’s my brother Dr. Rob… who switched career paths from working in the computer science financial sector for a few years before deciding to continue the family legacy, enter the field of optometry, and join the practice.

My brother and I are incredibly proud that our family still owns Brenart Eye Clinic and that we take care of three, sometimes four generations of families. We are excited to have such experienced doctors and staff. We realize without them we could not strive towards our fathers’ vision.

With over six decades in practice and over four decades practicing in Yorkville, Brenart Eye Clinic has expanded into a team of 11 amazing doctors and almost 60 incredible staff members with the latest cutting-edge technology in eye care. Our practice continues to grow adding families to our already wonderful patient base and recruiting exceptional talent to help serve all their needs. We continue this journey as we receive 2023 Kendall County’s BEST EYE DOCTORS for the 8th consecutive year and watch our fathers’ vision unfold.

Over the years, we have helped tens of thousands of patients see and feel better with services including vision eye exams, contact lenses, medical eye health exams, pediatric services, traumatic brain injury treatment, vision therapy treatment, dry eye treatment, and cataract and retinal surgery. Today, Brenart Eye Clinic is one of Illinois’ largest multidisciplinary clinics embracing optometry and ophthalmology expertise. It has been a long journey from when my father starting his one-doctor office in Yorkville almost 50 years ago out of our home.

Our current team represent our past, present and future and continue to strategize with us about where we’re going next. Always following my fathers’ vision of compassionate, exceptional eye care, we move forward. Our team is essential in serving the next generation of patients who will need our care and services. I could not be prouder of my father and this group…and know that his vision is what makes us the best.”