Jim Vendeland is a retired ophthalmologist living in Cleveland, Ohio. Jim and his wife Marcia have an extended family including three children, five grandchildren, and one great grand-daughter. He is an avid collector of antique ophthalmoscopes (eye instruments) and 19th century kaleidoscopes. He has given presentations and written articles about these instruments for The Rowfant Club in Cleveland, The Brewster Kaleidoscope Society, The Ocular Heritage Society, and The Magic Lantern Society of the US and Canada.

Jim enjoys playing the piano and has an extensive collection of classical music and opera on compact discs and dvds. He also plays racketball and has been taking lessons with a coach for the past several years.