Carl Marshall Has Perfect Vision

SHARON — A lot has changed since Carl Marshall opened his eyeglass shop on Hospital Hill Road almost 22 years ago.

For one, the optician has seen a gradual decrease in the overall size of lenses from "big, big, big, bigger" in the early 1980’s to more contemporary styles, which are generally smaller and rounder.

"Glasses have turned from functional to fashionable," Marshall said as he sat on his familiar black stool. "What’s the first thing you see when you look at somebody? Their eyes. Glasses can really make a huge difference in your appearance or the image your want to project."

Marshall has seen the rise of contact lenses and designer frames; the shift from line bifocals to progressive lenses; and the advent of thinner eyeglass lenses. As the glasses lining the walls constantly replace themselves with newer, trendier styles, Marshall’s business stands solid.

His store’s layout has not changed much through the years. Neither has his secretary of 17 years, Kathy Goessinger, who has become a recognizable pair of eyes among the store’s rows of eyeglass frames.

In the face of retail chains and "all-in-one" stores with in-house optometrists, Sharon Optical is a vestige of a different time. Even still, patronage remains steady. Marshall credits the loyalty of his clientele.

"Eyeglass buying has gone from small shops like mine primarily to chains," Marshall said. "But there’s still a few guys like me around. Fortunately, I keep busy here. I have a very faithful following."

Business may stay strong but one thing seems consistently transient:technology. The lens-cutting equipment nestled cozily in his back workshop is top-of-the-line. Marshall has made a commitment to work with only the best machinery. It is an expensive self-promise (his latest equipment costs "as much as a small car") but one he considers necessary.

"The machinery today is much quicker and much more accurate," Marshall said as the machines cranked out a finished lens in a matter of seconds. "Compared to 20 years ago, I can probably do three times the amount of work."

Yet, perhaps it is the care Marshall brings to his profession that separates him most from his competition. On this particular day a man walked in to pick up a pair of eyeglasses he left for tightening.

"What do I owe you?" the man asked.

"Oh," Marshall said, surprised. "No charge, sir."

Try getting that kind of service at a retail chain.

Marshall’s giving nature extends beyond his small shop. He is also a 20-year member of the Sharon Lions Club, a service organization of which Marshall has been president six of the last 12 years.

"We do a lot of good things for the community," he said. "Most of our money goes right back to the community and a certain percentage is donated to international projects, helping people all around the world too."

While the Lions Club in Salisbury recently folded, the one in Sharon continues successfully. Although the club has more than 30 members, Marshall is always looking for newcomers and he encourages anyone interested in joining to call him at Sharon Optical.

As president, Marshall has had the unique privilege of merging his interest in improving vision with his interest in servicing the community. The Sharon Lions Club donates money to the Connecticut Lions Eye Research Foundation, which helps to fund research being done at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

"Right now they’re donating a lot of money toward what’s called macular degeneration," Marshall said. Macular degeneration is a gradual deterioration of the retina that reduces vision and inevitably causes blindness.

"There’s no cure right now but they’re making a lot of progress," Marshall added.

Closer to home, the Lions Club is "helping to prevent preventable blindness." Every year the club receives letters from local residents who cannot afford the cost of prescription eyeglasses.

"If somebody needs a pair of eyeglasses that they don’t have the money for, the Lions Club will buy them glasses," Marshall said. "For surrounding towns I probably make eight to 10 pairs a year for people."

Marshall is in the business of helping people see clearly. Through his tireless work, whether at Sharon Optical or with the Lions Club, he has made his vision of a better world crystal clear.

While his eyes may be the first thing one notices when meeting Carl Marshall, his heart is an immediate second.