Volume 7 • 2020 • Issue 1

19 Issue 1 | 2020 | N ews and E vents Dr. Crawford and Olga together at the Order of Canada Award Ceremony. me a very good analysis of the landscape that I found myself in.” Dr. Crawford and Olga moved to South Delta, British Columbia. “There is something about growing up on the prairies that makes retiring on the coast very attractive,” he says. Of course, he couldn’t really stop working, and he continued to edit The Professional Advisory , a practice management publication. As well, he and Olga continued to display parts of their collection at museums and universities in Ontario and B.C. In 2014, the Dr. Ralph and Mrs. Olga Crawford Canadian Dental Collection found its permanent home at the Museum of Health Care. “Ralph is so proud of his profession and being a part of it, it’s important to him to preserve Canadian dentistry’s rich history in some fashion,” says Teteruck. “Too often things are lost and people’s contributions are forgotten. The profession is what it is today, because of those who have gone before.” A Dynamic Duo In 2019, Dr. Crawford was informed that he would be appointed to the Order of Canada for his contributions as a clinician, educator and historian in the field of dentistry. “I was overwhelmed and terribly honoured,” he told his local paper, The Delta Optimist . Olga suggested that he get a new tuxedo and she a gown for the event. He allowed himself to be convinced. The couple traveled together to Ottawa to receive the award in November. “Olga has been his anchor throughout his life,” says Teteruck. “They are truly a team. She has unselfishly supported him in all his endeavours. She is not a pushover, however, and can hold her own in her quiet way. His work in collecting historical artifacts and developing a museum collection was a joint effort. It was as much her project as his.” When asked about the secret of his happy partnership, Dr. Crawford says that he and Olga deeply understand each other. “Throughout those 67 years, we can’t recall a quarrel or an event when we couldn’t agree,” he says. “A true story I often tell is that I have never cooked a meal in all these years. But if you are married to the best cook in the world, why would I even try? However, I do clean up after dinner.” When asked about advice he might have for a younger dentist, Dr. Crawford says, “Certainly, put all your efforts into providing the best possible treatment for your patients, but also look around your office and imagine how the dentists before you have put unimaginable time and effort into developing every instrument and patient treatment you utilize today.” a Certainly, put all your efforts into providing the best possible treatment for your patients, but also look around your office and imagine how the dentists before you have put unimaginable time and effort into developing every instrument and patient treatment you utilize today. – Dr. Ralph Crawford