There are few things in life more personal than trusting someone with your vision. The faces of the people we love. The pages of a favorite book. A child’s first day of school. The beauty of an East Tennessee sunrise.
The words of Scripture during a quiet morning devotion. Sight is one of God’s greatest gifts, yet it’s often something we don’t fully appreciate until it begins to change.
For nearly ninety years, one East Tennessee family has devoted their lives to protecting that gift.
Since 1939, Sullins Eye Care has served generations of families across East Tennessee. What began as a small practice in downtown Athens has grown into one of the region’s most respected eye care generations of optometrists.
Where It All Began
Shortly after graduating from Southern College of Optometry in 1939, Dr. William David Sullins Sr., known throughout the community as “Daddy Doc, purchased an existing optometry practice in downtown Athens. Eye care looked very different then. Optometrists couldn’t prescribe many medications, perform many of today’s treatments, or even dilate a patient’s eyes, but Daddy Doc believed the profession could become much more.
While faithfully caring for his friends and neighbors, he helped advance optometry across Tennessee, serving as President of the Tennessee Optometric Association and President of the Southern Council of Optometrists. His leadership helped shape optometry into the comprehensive healthcare profession it is today.
His service extended far beyond the exam room. Daddy Doc taught Sunday school for many vears at Keith Memorial United Methodist Church, served on McMinn County’s first County Council, was named Athens Man of the Year, and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Tennessee Wesleyan College. Whether serving patients, his church, or his community, he treated every person with compassion, integrity, and respect. Those values became the cornerstone of Sullins Eve Care and continue to guide the family today.
After graduating from Southern College of Optometry, he served in the United States Navy from 1967 to 1995, becoming the first optometrist in history to achieve the rank of Rear Admiral and the first optometrist in an branch of the military to become a Flag Officer. His influence reached far beyond East
Tennessee as President of the American Optometric Association, where he helped shape the future of eve care and co-founded the nationally recognized Infant SEE program, providing comprehensive ese assessments for infants regardless of a family’s ability to pay. His distinguished career earned him induction into the National Optometry Hall of Fame, recognition as Tennessee Optometrist of the Year, Optometrist of the Decade, and the profession’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Remarkably, both Dr. David and his father received the Lifetime Achievement Award, making them the only father-son pair in history to share the honor.
Closer to home, Dr. David also served as Mayor of Athens, continuing the family’s tradition of servant leadership. Yet despite his national accomplishments, patients simply knew him as their trusted hometown eve doctor. His greatest passion remained caring for the people of East Tennessee and continuing the legacy his father began in 1939.
Perhaps Dr. David’s greatest accomplishment wasn’t found in titles or awards- it was inspiring the nest generation to continue the family’s calling. His sons Or. Willam David “They” Sullins III and Dr. Stuart Sullins, along with Ther’s wife, Pr. Christa Salins, caried that legacy forward.
Growing the Family Legacy in 1996, Sullins Eve Care entered a new chapter as Drs. Trey and Christa Sullins brought the family’s legacy to Monroe County. Their journey began at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, where a shared passion for eve care grew into a lifelong partnership. After marring, they retumed to East Tennessee and opened a small office beside Bob’s Barber Shop on Highway 411 in Madisonville.
With one emplovee, a vision for exceptional patient care, and hearts for serving their community, they laid the foundation for what has become a trusted Monrce County practice for nearly three decades. The practice continued to grow in 1998 when Dr. Stuart Sullins returned home with his wife, Amy Sullins, PhD. Together they expanded the Madisonville office, which scon outgrew its original location. In 2000, that growth led Sullins Eve Care to its next home on Englewood Road, another important step in a joumey that continues today.
As the practice flourished, so did the Sullins family. Trey and Christa raised four sons, while Stuart and Amy raised three, instilling the same values of faith, hard work, service, and family that have defined Sullins Eve Care for nearly ninety years.
Away from the office, their interests are as diverse as their talents. Trey is an award-winning ocular and landscape photographer, capturing both the intricate beauty of the human eve and God’s creation. Christa, a three-time Ironman finisher, combines her passion for leadership and service while serving on the Athens-McMinn YMCA Board.
Stuart enjoys bass fishing, pickleball, and investing time in his church, community, and family. Together, they ve built far more than a successful practice- thev’ve built a life centered on serving others.
Today, the fourth generation is already carrying the legacy forward. In 2025, Dr. Tim Sullins and his wife, Dr. Kate Sullins, joined the practice after meeting at Southern College of Optometry, The future continues to unfold as Ben Sullins begins optometry school this fall, while Spencer Sullins is studying biology with plans to follow the family tradition.
More Than Eye Care
Ask the Sullins family what they love most about optomety, and they won’t begin by talking about eyes. They’ll tell you about people. To them, Sullins Eye Care has never simply been about vision- it has always been about relationships. Every day brings moments they’ll never take for granted. It’s the citement of a child putting on their first ir of glasses and discovering the world a whole new way. It’s the joy of helping someone regain independence after years struggling with declining vision. But what they treasure most are the relationships built over a lifetime.
Unlike man areas of healthcare, optometry allows them to walk alongside patients through every season of life. They’ve watched children become parents and then cared for the next generation. They’ve celebrated life’s milestones, offered comfort through difficult diagnoses, and built friendships that span decades.
Treating patients like family has created relationships that often last a lifetime. It’s the privilege of serving, encouraging, and truly knowing the person behind every appointment that gives their work its deepest purpose- a commitment shared by every member of the Sullins Eve Care team.
Looking Toward The Future
This summer marks one of the most exciting milestones in Sullins Eve Care’s history with the opening of its beautiful new Madisonville location along Highway 411. There’s something especially meaningful about that address.
Nearly thirty years ago, Trey and Christa welcomed their very first patients in a small office just down the same stretch of Highway 411. Today, that same road leads to a beautiful new state-of-the-art practice- a full-circle moment that honors where they began while embracing the future.
Designed with both comfort and innovation in mind, the new office features expanded exam space, advanced diagnostic technology, and thoughtfully designed patient areas that allow the doctors and staff to provide even more comprehensive care close to home.
From routine eve exams to the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, diy eye, cataracts, and other chronic eye conditions, patients can receive exceptional care in Monroe County without traveling far for specialized services.
While the building is new. the mission remains exactly the same as it was in 1939: to serve people with honesty, build lifelong relationships, provide exceptional care, and help preserve one of God’s greatest gifts- the abilitv to experience His creation and the people we love.
Nearly ninety years after Daddy Doc first opened the doors to a small practice in downtown Athens, the Sullins family continues carrying that vision forward.
