Dr. Joseph W. Huff, Ph. D., age 56, passed away unexpectedly after a flu-like illness on May 27, 2013. Born in Carrollton, Georgia on March 12, 1957, Huff was the youngest son of the late Dr. Perry N. Huff, and Jean Coleman Huff. Extending his family's three generational ocular legacy, Huff devoted his career to vision. His research, particularly the cornea, was aimed at doubling or tripling eye bank storage, enabling more recipients to receive transplants. He authored or co-authored 40 published research papers on contact lens solutions and the cornea, and was a presenter at many international symposiums for Optometry and Ophthalmology. Since 2002 he was Associate Professor of Biology at the University of West Georgia. A popular lecturer in nutrition and physiology, he taught nursing students and directed students in eye research. He received a Ph.D. in Physiology in 1982, Medical College of Georgia; M.S., Pharmacology, University of Georgia; Honors B.A., Chemistry, West Georgia College, 1977. He was Vice President of the Georgia Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Director and CEO of Materials and Surfaces, Ltd., and an R&D consultant in industrial biological science. A past V.P. of the non-profit Georgia Institute of Science and Technology, he was also Board member and Past President, Georgia Nutrition Council. From 1990 – 1998 at The University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia, he was Senior Project Scientist, grants and contracts manager, IRB and ethics committee chair with the Cooperative Research Centre for Eye Research and Technology (CReERT) and The Cornea and Contact Lens Research Unit (CCLRU), School of Optometry. There he led his laboratory team of six technicians and 12+ optometrists and ophthalmologists, running lab and clinical trials of ophthalmic products for such corporations as Bausch & Lomb, CIBA Vision, Johnson & Johnson, Wesley- Jessen and for the National Institute of Health's National Eye Institute. From 1988 -1991 he was Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Bethesda Eye Institute, St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. From 1982 -1988 he was Assistant Professor, School of Optometry, University of Missouri -St. Louis and a Biophysics Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Ophthalmology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He held memberships of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, International Society for Contact Lens Research, Kappa Mu Epsilon, Materials Science Symposium (founding member), Phi Kappa Phi, Rho Chi, Sigma XI, and the West Georgia Telecommunications Alliance. Survivors include his sisters and brother-in-law, Mildred and Thomas Coleman and Mary Huff, both of Atlanta, Georgia; brothers, John R. Huff of Fairfield, Iowa and Dr. James C. and Paula Huff of Carrollton. An informal celebration of his life will be held Sunday, June 2 at 2:00 p.m. from the chapel of Almon Funeral Home. The family will receive friends following the memorial service. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.almonfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Georgia Eye Bank, www.georgiaeyebank.org, or to the University of West Georgia Biology Club. Almon Funeral Home of Carrollton in charge of arrangements.