CDA Essentials 2019 • Volume 6 • Issue 3

46 | 2019 | Issue 3 O bituaries Dr. Robert Wiener of Montreal passed away on February 17, 2019, at the remarkable age of 110. At the time of his death, Dr. Wiener was Canada’s only male supercentenarian, a term that describes people who are at least 110 years old. Dr. Wiener graduated from McGill University’s dental school in 1936 and went on to win the faculty’s gold medal and begin a residency at the Montreal General Hospital. He continued his studies at the University of Chicago, where he earned a master’s degree in pathology. Dr. Wiener taught at McGill for over 25 years and enjoyed a 55-year career in private practice as an oral surgeon. He was also instrumental in the creation of a low-income dental clinic at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital. Dr. Wiener was born in Montreal on Oct. 27, 1908, and was the youngest of seven siblings. When asked about the secret to his longevity, Dr. Wiener remained humble and said that genetics were on his side, as one of his brothers lived to the age of 109. “I don’t understand all the fuss about my age. If I won a Nobel Prize, I would understand. I’m just an old man. If people take care of themselves and they have the right genes, they grow old.” But he also cited his healthy lifestyle, including a Mediterranean diet, regular exercise and two squares of dark chocolate a day. “A half hour on the bicycle every day and when I was young, I played all the sports,” he added. Dr. Gerald Rudick (McGill DDS, 1966) had Dr. Wiener as an instructor in oral surgery at McGill and maintained a friendship with him in recent years. “I had the pleasure of visiting him at his retirement home several times, bringing with me my computer and colour slides showing him how our profession has advanced with new technology,” says Dr. Rudick. “His mind and eyes were still very sharp and he could marvel of the advancements made in our profession. He is an example to all of us, to keep our minds sharp, keep our bodies fit and most of all, be a mensch, just as he was.” According to the gerontology group which tracks and verifies supercentenarians, Dr. Wiener is the oldest man ever to be born and die in Canada. In fact, Dr. Wiener, at 110 years and 113 days, was believed to be the 18th-oldest man on Earth. Dr. Wiener was married to Ella, his beloved wife of 72 years, who died in 2011. He is survived by two sons, three granddaughters and two great-grandchildren. a REMEMBERING DENTISTRY LEADERS DR. ROBERT WIENER Dr. Robert Wiener’s family in a photo circa 1940. Dr. Wiener is shown, top row, far right. Photo Credit: The Wiener family