About Bryan Vision Associates, optometrist in Lakewood, CO

In Loving Memory

Wendell E. Bryan, O.D.

Please Note: We keep his Biography on here to provide historical context of the practice roots and to pay respect to the man whose vision, philosophy and practice standards continue to guide our practice moving forward.

It is with great sadness I post today that my father Dr Wendell E. Bryan passed away on March 22, 2023. His practice philosophy and principles continue to guide our clinic today with the core mission of treating every patient with the best optometric care possible to meet their individual vision and eye health needs. One of his greatest strengths was his ability to listen to his patients and respect their concerns.

In practice for 53 years, he cared for thousands of patients and touched the hearts of many. His presence continues to be felt at our office in numerous ways. He treated his staff with respect and generosity. Our new staff members who have never met him in person come to learn about him through stories told by many of his former patients. While it had been several months since he visited the practice, he was always interested in what was happening and continued providing me guidance. I still had so much to learn from him…

I can’t express how much I miss him and what a great loss this is for my family and our practice. He was my mentor, my colleague, my good friend, and most importantly my dad…

-Dr. Dean. Bryan

In 1964, I joined my father, Dr. Wendell E. Bryan Sr. in our practice of Optometry on South Broadway in Denver. The practice was a large group practice originally started in the early 1900's. My father was one of the early pioneers in the development of the contact lens, and was a leader in the field regarding vision and highway safety.

I am a native of Colorado, and have been a resident in the Lakewood area for a major portion of my life. Since entering practice in 1964, I have been very involved in community activities, which include being an active member of the Rotary Club of Lakewood since 1966, and the West Metro Chamber of Commerce since 1979.
I have Served as President of the Lakewood Rotary Club and as Chairman of the Youth and Scholarship Committee. I have also served as Chairman of the Jefferson County Health Planning Council.

We opened our office in it's present location in 1979, having first practiced for 15 years at a location on East Hampden in southeast Denver. Due to the number of years that we have been in practice and a reputation for very individualized professional care, we enjoy a high personal referral rate and see patients from a wide geographical area.

Our technical staff are very caring individuals who are well educated to provide our patients with the best of care. We have always strived to maintain a "state of the art" office by employing the very latest advancements in instrumentation and examination techniques.

I have always enjoyed providing primary eye care services as a general practioner, which has allowed me to provide care to your entire family, however I also have special interests in contact lenses, refractive surgery management and vision therapy. I have had the opportunity of providing volunteer services to both our national and state professional organizations. I have served as chairman of the the Committee on continuing Education and Department of Education and Manpower for the American Optometric Association. I have also served in numerous positions with the Colorado Optometric Association, including it's President in 1971. I am presently Chairman of the Past Presidents Council. I have also been honored by my profession with the Optometrist of the Year, Professional Service, and Distinguished Service Awards.

I have been married to a wonderful woman for 45 years, who in her own right is an excellent assistant and provides for the overall general administration of our office. I take a great deal of pride in being the father of two very fine children, one of whom is an excellent optometrist that has recently joined me in practice. In my leisure time, I enjoy golfing, fishing, skiing, woodworking, and the performing arts.

Dean T. Bryan, O.D.

I'm proud and feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to be in practice with my father helping to continue a strong family tradition (three generations) of providing professional eyecare to the Denver metro community.

Life has a way of sneaking up on all of us and in 2013 I was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson's. I continued to see patients until late 2016 when my symptoms began to interfere with my ability to perform eye examinations. I deeply miss my role as an eye doctor but continue to be an active part of the practice working as the Clinic Director in an administrative role helping to manage all areas of the office.

I was born in Denver and raised in Lakewood. I graduated from Alameda High School in 1985 and completed my undergraduate studies graduating with a Bachelor's of Science degree from Western State College in 1989.

Shortly after receiving my degree I obtained my teaching certificate and became a high school biology teacher at Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs. I taught at Cheyenne Mountain for 2 years before leaving to work in computer sales.

My interest in Optometry was sparked by reviewing information my father sent to me about the profession. As a person interested in human biology as well as thriving on educating others, I found optometry to be a very attractive career option. My wife and I both applied and were accepted at Pacific University College of Optometry in 1996. I graduated with honors from Pacific University with a Doctorate in Optometry in 2000.

The eyecare profession has seen numerous technological advances over the years and will continue to evolve. We strive to offer the most up to date services and technologies to our patients while at the same time providing individualized care and treatment options.

I am currently a member of the American Optometric Association, Colorado Optometric Association, and the Colorado Optometric Glaucoma Society. My other interests include outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, golf, and fly fishing.

My wife and I our blessed with one child born in 2005.

Jennifer E. Nightingale, O.D.

I graduated from the University of Houston College of Optometry, summa cum laude, in 2021. I then completed a Primary Care / Cornea and Contact Lens residency at the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center with additional training at the Moran Eye Center.

Having seen the incredible difference specialty lenses can make for my patients’ quality of life, I am excited to bring them to the Lakewood community. I also love caring for my primary care patients, as well as managing ocular diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.

My journey to optometry was somewhat roundabout, from Chicago swing dance instructor to New York SAT test prep instructor. Through these experiences I found a love for educating, serving, and caring for others - things I still get to do every day.

Outside of work I enjoy hiking, swing dancing, and traveling around the world. I’m truly excited to make Denver my permanent home with my husband, Dan, and my dog, Reiko!

Stacey K. Spaulding, O.D.

I have been practicing Optometry with my husband and father-in-law since June 2000. I find that our family practice atmosphere allows for exceptional patient care.

I was born and raised in Lakewood, Colorado and graduated from Alameda High School. I received my Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University. I earned my Doctorate of Optometry with distinction from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Dr. Dean Bryan and I currently live in Ken Caryl with our young son Zachary and our dogs Scout and Freckles. We enjoy working in our yard and taking trips to the mountains.