A2 FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | September 2019 Remembering Dr. Mort Divack By Dr. David L . Hoexter, Editor In Chief “Anyone here from the Bronx?” It was a question that changed his life, and the lives of others. Dr. Mort Divack asked that question as he entered an apart- ment to attend a social event many years ago. At that party was a vivacious, lovely lady named Ruth. Smitten, Mort married her, and the world has never been the same: Two daughters, grandchildren, respect from colleagues, participation in dental organizations — as well as tireless support and advocacy for dental education for all participants in the oral health field. When Mort and Ruth were together, everyone won. Mort passed away this July. A loss of an amazing talent in the dental field. At the outset of his participation in organized dental-industry support, he joined a local dental society, the First District Dental So- ciety (now called the New York County Den- tal Society). He volunteered on several com- mittees before becoming an elected officer. Always at his side at every meeting, driving him from his office in Queens to the den- tal meetings, staying involved through the entire meeting, and then driving home — was Ruth. What a team! Always at every meeting and always with smiles. Being an officer in the First District (the largest local dental society in the country) requires near-endless extra time and effort on top of your practice. Yet Mort, while al- ready providing leadership and guidance as president of the society — organizing education and encouraging new and young colleagues by example to join and partici- pate in organized dentistry — he simulta- neously accepted the additional responsi- bility of being the society’s representative and member of the Greater New York Den- tal Meeting organization. The positions de- manded an abundance of altruistic energy combined with a deep appreciation of den- tal organizations and their role in best serv- ing and protecting patients through dental education and open dissemination of the field’s growing base of knowledge for all. He and Ruth were together through it all. AD Ruth and Dr. Mort Divack. Photo/Provided by Dr. David L. Hoexter Not bad for a dentist practicing in Queens, serving a dental society representing Man- hattan and the Bronx. At the Greater New York Dental Meet- ing, Mort’s enthusiastic participation, love of dental education, appreciation of his colleagues and teammates — combined with his commitment to subject dissemi- nation to the public and dental profession- als — led to his election as chairman of the GNYDM. He naturally transitioned from representing the largest local dental soci- ety in the country to leading the country’s largest dental meeting. And again, Ruth was at his side at all the meetings. Follow- ing his term as GNYDM chairman, Mort worked tirelessly for the ADA, especially in education, while also serving on numerous committees for the national meeting. Continuing with his giving after comple- tion of his service with the ADA, Mort took on the challenge of being the chairman of the New York County local district dental society’s continuing education program. It was during these years that Mort en- couraged me to present to the field on the newest modalities in periodontics and implants. He was always supportive of my efforts with helpful feedback and encour- agement. One year when Mort and Ruth were vacationing in Europe, he had pro- vided me with the dates. I secretly planned a surprise. When they arrived in Italy, they were greeted with my friend’s invitation to a personal estate for a private concert and grand feast. All this was to tell Mort and Ruth they were special and appreciated. About 10 years ago, the GNYDM showed Mort how much it appreciated his expe- rience and talent by inviting him to be a participating member of the GNYDM leadership team. The meeting organizers were thrilled when Mort accepted at a time when most of his colleagues were long since retired from practice and no longer involved in dental organizations. What a wonderful moment for Ruth, Mort and the GNYDM. It is impossible to summarize Mort’s contributions in a few paragraphs — his love for family, his passion for dental poli- tics and his gift of valuable time and ener- gy to dental organizations. He lived a full, complete life, passing on at 96. His passion lives on through those who knew him and admired him — and most of all through his grandchildren, his Sandy and Daniel, his energetic Stacie and, of course, Ruth, his inseparable partner. DENTAL TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · US Edition PUBLISHER & CHAIRMAN Torsten Oemus t.oemus@dental-tribune.com PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Eric Seid e.seid@dental-tribune.com GROUP EDITOR Kristine Colker k.colker@dental-tribune.com EDITOR IN CHIEF DENTAL TRIBUNE Dr. David L. Hoexter feedback@dental-tribune.com MANAGING EDITOR U.S. AND CANADA EDITIONS Robert Selleck r.selleck@dental-tribune.com MANAGING EDITOR Fred Michmershuizen f.michmershuizen@dental-tribune.com MANAGING EDITOR Sierra Rendon s.rendon@dental-tribune.com PRODUCT/ACCOUNT MANAGER Humberto Estrada h.estrada@dental-tribune.com PRODUCT/ACCOUNT MANAGER Maria Kaiser m.kaiser@dental-tribune.com PRODUCT/ACCOUNT MANAGER Jordan McCumbee j.mccumbee@dental-tribune.com CLIENT RELATIONS MANAGER Leerol Colquhoun l.colquhoun@dental-tribune.com ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR Nirmala Singh n.singh@dental-tribune.com Tribune America LLC 118-35 Queens Blvd, Ste 400 Forest Hills, NY 11375 (212) 244-7181 Published by Tribune America © 2019 Tribune America, LLC All rights reserved. Dental Tribune strives to maintain the utmost accu- racy in its news and clinical reports. If you find a fac- tual error or content that requires clarification, please contact Managing Editor Robert Selleck at r.selleck@ dental-tribune.com. Dental Tribune cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims or for typographical errors. The publisher also does not assume responsibility for product names or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Tribune America. EDITORIAL BOARD Dr. Joel Berg Dr. L. Stephen Buchanan Dr. Arnaldo Castellucci Dr. Gorden Christensen Dr. Rella Christensen Dr. William Dickerson Hugh Doherty Dr. James Doundoulakis Dr. David Garber Dr. Fay Goldstep Dr. Howard Glazer Dr. Harold Heymann Dr. Karl Leinfelder Dr. Roger Levin Dr. Carl E. Misch Dr. Dan Nathanson Dr. Irwin Smigel Dr. Jon Suzuki Dr. Dennis Tartakow Dr. Dan Ward Tell us what you think! Do you have general comments or criticism you would like to share? Is there a particular topic you would like to see articles about in Dental Tribune? Let us know by sending an email to feedback@dental-tribune.com. We look forward to hearing from you!