John J. Glancy, CO, passed away April 4. He was 91.
The following is from an online obituary posted on www.legacy.com: Glancy was born, March 19, 1923, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He wore a leg brace for most of his life as a result of a debilitating bone infection he suffered as a child, which left him with a special empathy for children with disabilities.
Glancy began his career at Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, and was on staff at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts. For more than 40 years, Glancy was assistant professor of orthotics and later assistant professor emeritus of orthotics (orthpaedic surgery) at Indiana University Medical School, Indianapolis. He was recruited by the school in 1967 to design, oversee construction of, and run the school’s orthotics laboratory, which was later named in his honor.
While much of Glancy’s career was devoted to designing braces and other orthotic aids for children with significant disabilities, he also worked with adults. He helped a number of athletes, ranging from world famous jockey Red Pollard to many well-known Indianapolis business and civic leaders who sought his help after suffering injuries during the jogging craze in the 1970s. Pollard, the jockey who rode Seabiscuit to fame during the Great Depression, suffered severe injuries in a racing accident, and later in Pollard’s career, Glancy designed braces that stabilized Pollard’s atrophied leg so that he could continue to ride.
An internationally recognized member of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy), Glancy held a number of patents, published many articles in professional journals, and lectured across the United States and in several foreign countries. He also wrote a reference book, Control of the Foot /Ankle Complex: Orthotic Recommendations, published in 2000, which continues to be used by university-level orthotics programs. His theories on the structure and mechanics of the foot attracted the attention of one of the world’s leading running shoe manufacturers.
Glancy’s wife passed away July 27. He is survived by his stepdaughter, Elinor Williams, five nieces, and a nephew.
