WEST PALM BEACH, FLA: Jeffrey A. Cole and his wife Patricia O’Brien Cole have made a generous gift of $2.25 million to the Cleveland Clinic Florida Tomsich Health and Medical Center located in CityPlace Tower. Jeffrey and Patricia Cole have been going to the Cleveland Clinic Florida for care since it opened ten years ago. Through their involvement on the Palm Beach County Leadership Council, they have become good friends with Dr. Viviane Connor, Director of the Tomsich Health and Medical Center.

“I have enjoyed getting to know Jeff and Trisha over the years and I am honored by this philanthropic commitment they have made to Cleveland Clinic Florida West Palm Beach,” said Center Director Viviane Connor, MD.

Cleveland Clinic Florida West Palm Beach offers convenient access and innovative medicine, combined with a modern and comfortable ambiance. Consistent with the rest of the organization, the Tomsich Health and Medical Center is defined by expert collaboration and highly advanced treatments, as well as our unique approach that always puts patients first. Patients in Palm Beach County have access to everything from preventive care to advanced diagnostics and treatments.

Jeffrey and Patricia (Trisha) Cole are both native Clevelanders. The Coles reside in Palm Beach, Florida, where Mr. Cole’s family has had a home for over 50 years. They also spend several months each year in Europe. In 1999, Jeffrey and his company, Cole National Corporation, which was based in Cleveland for 60 years from 1944 to 2004, contributed the lead gift that established the Cole Eye Institute at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

Mr. Cole led Cole National as chairman and CEO from 1983 until 2003 when the company entered into discussions that led to its sale to Luxottica in 2004. The company was founded by his late father, Joseph E. Cole. It became one of the world’s largest optical companies with brands including Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Target Optical, EyeMed Managed Vision Care, as well as Things Remembered Gift Stores.

Jeffrey Cole co-founded Pearle Europe, now known as Grandvision, in late 1996 with the Dutch investment company HAL Trust. He has served for 20 years as a Supervisory Board member of Grandvision, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The company has grown over the past 20 years to 6,400 optical stores in 45 countries and over $3 billion in revenue and 32,000 employees.

Mr. Cole serves on the boards of Safilo and Hilco. Safilo is based in Padua, Italy and is the world’s second largest eyeglass frame manufacturer with sales of over $1.3 billion. Hilco, based near Boston, is the world’s largest optical accessories company with operations in North America and Europe.

As a Harvard College and Harvard Business School graduate, Mr. Cole was a member and editor of the Harvard Lampoon, The Hasty Pudding Institute, and the D.U. Club. He has been the principal benefactor of the Jack Kerouac Writers in Residence program in Orlando, Florida since 1998 (Kerouacproject.org).

Mr. Cole’s father Joseph E. Cole was an original founder of the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.

Mr. Cole’s wife, Trisha, graduated from Bowling Green State University. She was a social worker and later pursued her career as a jazz singer, performing at numerous venues in Cleveland including the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Playhouse Club, Top of the Town, Club Isabella, and Night Town. She has also performed at places of note in New York City, including Joe’s Pub, Feinstein’s at The Regency, as well as the Royal Room at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach Florida. She has released two CDs, her most recent being Out of a Dream.

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