Volume 7 • 2020 • Issue 6

Remembering Dentistry Leaders Dr. PatrickRalph Crawford Dr. Patrick Ralph Crawford, better known as Ralph, passed away on July 13, 2020. He was 92. A fter a career as a theatre manager for Famous Players during the heyday of drive-in movies, Dr. Crawford returned to school to study dentistry. Upon obtaining his dentistry degree in 1964, he practised in Winnipeg for 24 years and taught part-time at the University of Manitoba faculty of dentistry. Dr. Crawford and his wife, Olga, were passionate about preserving dental history in Canada. In the 1960s, they began a collection of dental artifacts and memorabilia, which grew to more than 4,000 items. Artifacts from their collection can be found in museums in Ontario and Manitoba as well as at the Dr. Ralph and Mrs. Olga Crawford Dental Collection in the Museum of Health Care in Kingston, Ontario. As further testament to his role as the “unofficial historian of Canadian dentistry,” Dr. Crawford wrote The Canadian Dental Association 1902–2002: A Century of Service , a series of articles outlining CDA's first 100 years. Dr. Crawford was active in dental association affairs, serving as president of both the Manitoba and Canadian Dental Associations. He is the only dentist in Canada to be recognized with honorary memberships in both organizations. He retired from active dental practice in 1988 and moved to Ottawa to work as the editor of the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association (JCDA) . After nine years, he retired to Tsawwassen, BC, where he volunteered on his strata council and a local thrift shop. In 2019, Dr. Crawford was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for his long-lasting achievements as a clinician, educator, and historian in the field of dentistry. He was also the 2020 CDA Medal of Honour recipient, the highest award conferred by CDA, given to a dentist in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding service and professional achievement to the benefit of the dental profession and community. Friends and colleagues of Dr. Crawford at CDA remember him as an unflagging optimist with great sense of humour. Anytime he was asked how he was doing, he’d invariably say, “Never better in my whole life.” Dr. Crawford’s marriage to Olga was an inspiration to many. Olga often worked alongside Dr. Crawford at his dental practice and was a collaborator in collecting historical artifacts. “Olga has been his anchor throughout his life, they were truly a team,” says Linda Teteruck, CDA director of corporate affairs. Ralph will be greatly missed by Olga, son Patrick (wife Donna Giberson), daughter Aileen (husband Rodney Stuart), and grandson Julian. CDA Essentials profiled Dr. Crawford in Issue 1, 2020. See: bit.ly/324hIZd O bituaries 38 | 2020 | Issue 6