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Volume2 Issue1
O
bituaries
“We”
Brigadier-General (retired) Dr. William R. ("Will") Thompson, of
Belleville,Ontario—adistinguished leader inmilitaryandcivilian
dentistry bothnationally and internationally—passed away on
November30, 2014, at theageof 91.
A veteran of WorldWar II and the KoreanWar, Dr. Thompson
first enrolled in 1942 as a Privatedental assistantwithhopes of
becoming a dental laboratory technician, “a valuable skill set
when I returned to trainingas adentist after thewar.”As things
wouldhave it, his countryneededhim inanother capacityand
he soon transferred to the Royal CanadianAir Forcewhere he
servedas anair navigator in theEuropean theatre. Atwar’s end
he followeduponhisambition tobecomeadentist,graduating
from theUniversityof Toronto facultyof dentistry in1949. Inhis
last yearof school he rejoined theRoyal CanadianDental Corps
(RCDC), goingon to serve for35years inuniformacrossCanada
and inEurope, theUnitedStatesandKorea.
With a deep concern for comprehensive care to themen and
women in service, he advocated for uniformedpreventive and
specialty care providers and undertook specialty training him-
self, first at theWalterReedArmyMedicalCenter inWashington
DC, followed by postgraduate studies in oral surgery at UofT.
Reaching the highest rank in the RCDC of Brigadier-General
REMEMBERING
DENTISTRYLEADERS
Brigadier-General (retired)
DR.WILLIAMR.THOMPSON
...“friend, confidant, proven leader, a personwho is
dedicated to the betterment of dental health, not only
inCanada, but internationally.”
—
Dr.DonaldE.Williams
Dr.WilliamR. ThompsonwithhiswifeCarol at
a recentPresident's Installationevent inOttawa.
andDirector General of Dental Services, hewas appointed to
theOrderofMilitaryMerit in thegradeofCommander in1981.
The current head of the RCDC, Colonel James Taylor, remem-
bersWill: “Hewas truly an iconic figure in our Corps, and our
last Director General with service inWWII and Korea. Having
firstmet himwhen I was a young lad, I had theprivilegeover
time of watching himmeet the challenges of hismany posi-
tionsofgreat responsibilitywith thewisdom, fairness, kindness
andprobity forwhichhewassowell known, asaconsummate
gentlemanandprofessional.”
Dr.Thompson’s focusonclinicalexcellencedidnotpreventhim
fromdelvingdeeply intoorganizeddentistry.While inuniform
heservedaschairof theCommissiononDefenceForcesDental
Servicesof theFDIWorldDentalFederation, followedbya term
on theFDI Executiveas its treasurer.Healso servedon theCDA
BoardofGovernorsand immediatelyupon retirement from the
Canadian Armed Forces in 1982, Dr. Thompson was elected
CDA president. At Dr. Thompson’s Installation ceremony, out-
goingpresidentDr. DonaldE.Williamsdescribedhis successor
as a “friend, confidant, proven leader, apersonwho is dedicat-
ed to thebetterment of dental health, not only inCanada, but
internationally.” In1987, CDA recognizedDr. Thompsonwithan
HonoraryMembership forhisoutstandingcontributions to the
dental profession. Hewas appointed to thehonoraryposition
of Colonel Commandant of theDental Corps from1985–1990,
andhas servedon theRCDCSenate since its inception in2011.
In retirement, Dr. Thompsoncontinued toenjoy life to the full-
est, beingengaged indentistryaffairs, givingback tohis com-
munity throughcharitiessuchasMealsonWheels, and remain-
ingphysicallyactiveonhis farm, travelingextensivelyandeven
cycling intohisnineties.
a
