James M. Barnes ('60)
Donald E. Bentley ('54)
Finn Brudevold ('40)
Peter Cannon ('78, '80)
Edward A. Cerkovnik ('51)
Thomas J. Conlon ('61)
Carol Dahlke ('84)
George A. “Buzz” Geist Jr. ('45)
Charles W. Gurtler ('56)
John D. Herries ('31)
Daniel C. Howley ('78)
George C. Lawther ('50, '57)
Stephen F. Litton ('67, '70)
David Lurye ('85)
Jack Metternich ('37)
Ruth Peilen ('34)
Michael Perpich ('83)
Mark Persson ('84)
George Posavad ('66)
John P. Sande ('44)
Richard Simonsen ('71)
Eric Stafne ('60, '65)
Howard W. Taylor ('71)
John Van Ost ('44)
Rosalie Warpeha ('72)
Catherine Wurm ('96, '98)
Please submit brief notices about milestone events and activities to: Please submit brief notices about milestone events and activities to: U of M Office of Alumni Relations (attn: Annie Pennola), 515 Delaware St. S.E., 15-136 Moos Tower, Minneapolis, MN 55455 or penno008@umn.edu.
1931
John D. Herries (D.D.S.), Charlo, Mont., passed away September 30, 2005 at age 98. Dr. Herries practiced dentistry in Big Timber from 1931-1973. He also coached basketball, served on the volunteer fire department and the library board, and fished nearly every day of his life. During World War II, he served as a dental surgeon in the 7th Army in Europe. He was a Mason and a 60-year member of the American Foreign Legion. For the past 12 years he and his wife of 75 years lived next door to their son's family in Charlo. He preceded his wife in death by five days. Back to the top.
1934
Ruth Peilen (D.H.),Minneapolis, passed away August 29, 2005 at age 91. Ms. Peilen worked for several years and then, like many of her generation, left the profession to raise a family but committed herself to community service. She helped launch Women in Service to Education (WISE), a program of the Minneapolis Chapter of the Nat'l. Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), that recruited volunteers to teach reading in Minneapolis grade schools. She chaired the NCJW Freedom Fair Agenda Program, a leadership training program whose theme, in a period of intolerance fueled by the Senate hearings of Sen. Joe McCarthy, was "speak up, freedom needs exercise". In 1958, she was named to an advisory board for the revision of the minimum wage law for women and minors working in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes and resorts. She chaired the Minneapolis Federation for Jewish Service Urban Affairs Committee (1968-70) and its Legislative Task Force (1969). By 1968, about 250 WISE volunteers were tutoring more than 700 children, a half-day a week in 17 elementary and secondary schools, with chairwoman Peilen calling for more volunteers. Back to the top.
1937
Jack Metternich (D.D.S.), Rhinelander, Wisc., passed away December 2, 2005 after 39 years of private practice. Dr. Metternich was a member of the Fleet Marine Force that landed on Iwo Jima on D-Day where he spent the duration of the World War II battle. A perfectionist in his profession who believed one should always do their very best and that 110 percent was better than 100 percent; he was an active member of the Rhinelander community, providing free dental examinations to area athletes and serving on the area school board for 16 years, including two terms as its president. He was a member of the board of directors of the bank, a life member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the 5th Marine Division Association, and the Minnesota Dental Association. He loved family, education, sports and the outdoors, refinishing furniture, jewelry making, cooking, baking and spectator sports. Back to the top.
1940
Finn Brudevold (D.D.S.),West Newton, Mass., passed away January 16, 2006 at age 95. Born in Gjovik, Norway, he practiced dentistry in Norway before attending the U-M School of Dentistry. After graduation, he accepted a research position at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (1942-49) and later served as a dentist for the Norwegian troops during World War II alongside his wife, a dental hygienist in the Norwegian Navy. He accepted a position at the University of Rochester's Eastman Dental Center in 1949 where he served as research director and did much of his research on fluoride, then served as a professor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (1958-67) and as research director at the Forsyth Institute in Boston (1958-86). Dr. Brudevold was a co-recipient of the first award in dental research from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and president of the International Association for Dental Research (1978-79.) Known for his perseverance and passion, both personal and professional, he was a leader in dental research with honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Oslo, Georgetown University, and Tufts University, as well as an avid hiker and member of the team that forged a new trail in the Grand Tetons. Back to the top.
1944
John Van Ost (D.D.S.), Sun City Center, Fla., passed away January 13, 2006 at age 83. Dr. Van Ost was a captain in the U.S. Army during World War II. He practiced dentistry for 35 years in Tenafly, N.J. were he also served on the board of education, was an active member of the Rotary Club and an elder at the Presbyterian Church. He was on the dental faculty at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He founded and was president of Caribbean Sailing Yachts with marinas in the Bahamas, Florida Keys, British Virgin Islands, the Grenadines and Honduras. He was author of five books on cruising in the Caribbean, most notably "The Yachtsman's Guide to the Virgin Islands." After retiring to Sun City Center, Fla., he was awarded Volunteer of the Year by the Wimauma school district for his work in starting an accelerated reading program and organizing a volunteer force to teach English as a second language to elementary school children. Back to the top.
John P. Sande, Jr. (D.D.S., M.D.), Reno, Nev., passed away April 3, 2006. After graduating first in his class, Dr. Sande served in the U.S. Navy and then returned to Minneapolis to enter medical school. He was chief of staff at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno (1967) and on its board of directors (1974-99), and chief of surgery of Washoe Medical Center in the early 70’s and its chief of staff (1976 and 1977.) He was president of the Reno Surgical Society (1971), the Nevada State Medical Society (1972-73), and the Professional Standards Review Organization (1979), and was a director of Blue Shield of Nevada (1981-83). A man of versatile interests and talents, he was known for his toughness, patience, generosity, sense of mischief, compassion and loyalty. He was team physician for the high school football squad, and loved fine woodworking, hunting, skiing, learning to play the mandolin, evenings on the deck at the cabin, sailing, playing chess, collecting stamps from Norway, and his family. Back to the top.
1945
George A. “Buzz” Geist Jr. (D.D.S.), St. Paul and Two Harbors, passed away March 22, 2006 at age 85, after a distinguished career committed to community service and intercultural understanding. He spent two years of his Navy tour as a dentist in Omiya, Japan and in Yong Dung Po and Sosa, Korea, where he received a commendation medal. As an examining dentist in St. Paul’s public schools, he was instrumental in establishing a schoolbased sealant program for low-income children. He was a consultant to the Logan Leven Cleft Palate Clinic and the Minn. Department of Health Services for Children with Handicaps, and a board member of the Ely wilderness camp he attended as a youth. With a team of medical/dental colleagues, he made several trips to Peru to teach speech appliance techniques, and organized dental teams to develop school-based preventive programs in Chimbote, Peru. He was a visiting faculty member at Beijing Medical University (1989) and, over the course of 23 years, was both a clinical assistant and associate professor in the Cleft Palate Maxillofacial Clinic at the U-M School of Dentistry (1967-91). In 1990, the School of Dentistry Alumni Society awarded Dr. Geist its prestigious Ambert B. Hall Award. Back to the top.
1950, 1957
Lawther, George C. (D.D.S.), Roseville, passed away on January 20, 2006 at age 81. Dr. Lawther was a full-time faculty member at the School of Dentistry (1984 to 1987), serving program in what was then called the Dept. of Periodontology. He retired in 1987 after serving 30 years on the faculty in periodontology, 27 part-time and three full-time. He was also a consultant to the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Hospital (1957-70), Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota (1966- 68), and Aetna Life Insurance Company in Minneapolis (1983-84). He was a member of the American Academy of Periodontology, serving on its Executive Council (1973-75) and as chair of its annual meeting in Minneapolis (1975). He was president of the Midwest Society of Periodontists and of the Minnesota Association of Periodontics in 1966, and served on several committees of the Minnesota Dental Association and the St. Paul District Dental Society (1962-1982). Back to the top.
1951
Edward A. Cerkovnik (D.D.S.), Great Falls, Mont., passed away in October, 2005 at age 78. A former Malta and Glasgow resident and a Navy veteran, Dr. Cerkovnik, was a consummate "giver" in life with a dry wit and sense of humor and a make-your-day smile for everyone he met.Watching his children and grandchildren participate in sports and other school activities, fishing and hunting with his sons, son-in-law, and grandchildren, golfing with his buddies, nightly walks with his dog, and working in the yard were all special times. Back to the top.
1954
Donald E. Bentley (D.D.S.), Hawley, passed way November 3, 2005 at the age of 85. Dr. Bentley was a past president of the American Dental Association. A devoted citizen of both his profession and community, Dr. Bentley held numerous positions of leadership. In Hawley, he was mayor, a member of the city council and a church leader, director of the Chamber of Commerce, and member of the Board of Directors of the First National Bank. He was national chair for three years of a fundraising organization responsible for earning $7.5 million for Concordia College in Moorhead. Dr. Bentley was named outstanding alumnus of Concordia College in 1980. He was also Trustee of the Minnesota Dental Association (1965-68) and MDA treasurer from 1968-74. He was on the Board of Directors of the School of Dentistry Alumni Association (1968-72) and a member of the school’s Century Club Executive Council (1977-78). He served as trustee from the 10th District of the American Dental Association (1976-82), was ADA treasurer (1981), and the association’s 120th president in 1983-84. As president elect and president, Dr. Bentley traveled to every corner of the U.S. and many foreign countries. He was keynote speaker at the centennial anniversary of the Norwegian Dental Association in 1984 and, with intensive study, managed to give much of the address in Norwegian. Back to the top.
1956
Charles W. Gurtler (D.D.S.),Wisconsin Rapids,Wisc., passed away February 19, 2006 at age 71. An avid athlete, Dr. Gurtler received the Williams Memorial Scholarship and competed for the U-M in basketball and track events. He was a member of the American Dental Association and the Wisconsin and Minnesota dental associations, a past president of the Wood County Dental Society, and past chair of the Riverview Hospital dental staff. Active in civic and fraternal organizations, he was chair of the Wood County Board of Supervisors at the time of his death, having served two terms at that post and as a supervisor for more than 15 years. He is the recipient of the Wisconsin Rapids Citizen’s Civic Service Award, and served in top leadership positions for the Elks and Knights of Columbus, as a past member of the Saints Peter & Paul Parish Council, and as a longtime lector at his church. Back to the top.
1960
James M. Barnes (D.D.S.), Menasha, Wisc., passed away January 23, 2006 at his home after a valiant battle with cancer. Intrigued by aviation as a young boy, Dr. Barnes obtained his pilot's license at age 15 and later proudly served his country in the United States Navy (1948-54) as a naval aviator. He flew F-6 Hellcats, F4U Corsairs, F9F-5 Panthers and F-9 Cougar jets from the deck of the USS Essex before retiring as a full lieutenant. He was a lifelong builder of aircraft models and model railroading, and enjoyed sailing, skiing and nature's creatures. He was a charter member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and a member of the VFW post in Menasha. Dr. Barnes began his dental practice in 1961 and assisted 3M in pioneering composite fillings. Dr. Barnes continued his practice in Menasha until his retirement in 1993. Back to the top.
1960, 1965
Eric Stafne (D.D.S.), Minneapolis, was named Minnesota Dental Association's 2006 Guest of Honor for 'outstanding service to the art and science of dentistry, participation and contributions to organized dentistry over an extended period of time, community involvement, and/or academic accomplishments.' The award recognizes Dr. Stafne's dedication to teaching dental students in the Department of Periodontology and his special focus on the impact of tobacco use, in all forms, on oral health. Dr. Stafne is a retired professor in the Department of Preventive Sciences-Periodontology at the University of Minnesota. Back to the top.
1961
Thomas J. Conlon (D.D.S.), Inver Grove Heights, passed away December 17, 2005 at age 68. Friends would say that Thomas Conlon did not practice acts of kindness randomly; he practiced them continuously. Whether outfitting stranded tourists with overshoes or housing them in hotels, buying them breakfast and fixing their cars, he is remembered for his generosity. Dr. Conlon served as a captain in the U.S. Army and practiced dentistry in South St. Paul for 37 years. He was the recipient of the Helen Keller Sight Award and the Melvin Jones fellowship from Lions International. Back to the top.
1966
George Posavad (D.D.S.), Shoreview, received the Minnesota Dental Association's 2006 Humanitarian Service Award in recognition of his continuing dental missions in the orphanages in Ukraine. The award is given annually to a member dentist for "humanitarian service to the local, regional, state, national, or global community." Back to the top.
1967, 1970
Stephen F. Litton (D.D.S.), Golden Valley, received the Minnesota Dental Association's (MDA) 2005 President's Award in recognition of his dedication to organized dentistry through "his natural leadership at many levels," particularly his financial management of the MDA resources as its treasurer from 1998-2004. The award is given annually by the MDA president to recognize extraordinary service to the association and to the profession. Back to the top.
1971
Richard Simonsen (D.D.S.), Mesa, Ariz., was named the first dean of Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine in Glendale, Ariz. Part of a $140 million expansion of the university that is the largest in the school’s history, the dental school hopes to matriculate its first class of 100 students in 2008. Back to the top.
Howard W. Taylor (D.D.S.), St. Paul, was installed as treasurer of the St. Paul District Dental Society. Back to the top.
1972
Rosalie Warpeha (D.D.S.), Coon Rapids, passed away March 10, 2006 at age 64. A dentist, researcher and Marist missionary sister known in Jamaica as “Doctor Sister”, she was associated with dental public health in the Caribbean for over 20 years. While in dental school, she participated in a 1971 dental mission on the Project HOPE ship docked in Jamaica. Later assigned by the Marist sisters to serve as a dentist in Jamaica, she eventually became the country’s chief dental officer and was internationally recognized for initiating a dramatically effective salt fluoridation program to reduce rampant dental caries. The technique, already proven effective in France and Switzerland, was a cost effective alternative to a massive well-water fluoridation program and resulted in an 87.8 percent reduction in decay in six-year-olds, a 94 percent reduction in 12-year-olds, and a 69 percent reduction in 15-year-olds. Dr.Warpeha was also an active participant in the American Dental Association’s Health Volunteers Overseas-Dentistry Overseas (HVO-DO) program, serving in Guyana, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, and Vietnam, and was a member and chair of the HVO-DO Steering Committee. She also helped advocate and create a special ADA membership category for dentists who serve full-time for a charitable organization and do not receive an income or salary. Among her lengthy list of accomplishments is an honorary fellowship in the Academy of Dentistry International and an award recognizing her contributions to dentistry in the Caribbean. Back to the top.
1978
Daniel C. Howley (D.D.S.), Stevens Point, Wisc., passed away January 16, 2006 at age 53 after a courageous battle with cancer. He practiced dentistry for 27 years, retiring in August 2005 due to illness. He enjoyed his profession, and the patients and friendships he established along the way. Dr. Howley also enjoyed running, golf, hunting, biking and tennis. Back to the top.
1980, 1982
Peter Cannon (D.D.S.), St. Paul, was installed as president of the St. Paul District Dental Society. Back to the top.
1982
Mark Persson (D.D.S.), Mandan, N.D., passed away on December 28, 2005 at age 49. Dr. Persson practiced general dentistry in Ellendale, Edgeley and Kulu, N.D. before moving to Bismarck in 1985. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Persson enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing, canoeing and traveling, and also coached and played baseball and basketball. He served for several years on the board of Shiloh Christian School. A scholarship has been established in his memory at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry.Back to the top.
1983
Michael Perpich (D.D.S.), Edina, received the Minnesota Dental Association's (MDA) 2006 Outstanding Service Award for his continuing service at the local and state levels of the MDA and at the International level with the Pierre Fauchard Academy, culminating in its presidency in 2004-05. The award is given annually for "outstanding service to organized dentistry, either for a component or constituent society, the ADA, or another dental organization." Back to the top.
1984
Carol Dahlke (D.H.), Dayton, received a 2005 Outstanding Service Award by Special Olympics Minnesota. Recognized as the "driving force behind Healthy Athletes Special Smiles program since its inception in 2000," she received the award in January at the 2006 Distinguished Service Awards Banquet. As a director of the Special Smiles clinics, Dahlke has recruited hundreds of dental/dental hygiene volunteers from throughout the Twin Cities. She attended the Special Olympics Incorporated (SOI) Healthy Athletes Conference and World Games to increase awareness of not only the Special Smiles program but other Healthy Athletes programs as well. Dahlke also serves as a Level II Basketball coach with OMGAA Storm in Area II, a delegation of which her daughter, Krista Dahlke, is a member. A 1984 graduate, Dahlke is a current student in the dental hygiene degree completion program. She also serves as a member of the School of Dentistry Alumni Society Board. Back to the top.
1985
David Lurye (D.D.S.),Winter Park, Colo., was elected secretary of the Colorado Dental Association. He was also inducted as a fellow of the International College of Dentists at its 76th annual convocation in Philadelphia, Pa. Back to the top.
1996, 1998
Catherine Wurm (D.D.S.), St. Cloud, received the Minnesota Dental Association's New Dentist Leadership Award in appreciation of her "passion for excellence" in her work as a practicing dentist, mentor and instructor, in her community and in organized dentistry. The award is given annually to "an active member of the Minnesota Dental Association who has served dentistry and the dental community through efforts that demonstrate devotion to the profession and to the public." Back to the top.