We are saddened to announce the passing of two Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry alumni: Dr. Patrick Ralph Crawford and Dr. Julius Wise.
The two proud University of Manitoba alumni dedicated their decades-long careers to serving patients in Winnipeg. They were leaders in the field of dentistry in the province and beyond.
On July 13, 2020, Dr. Crawford passed away at the age of 92 in Delta, BC. After graduating from high school in his hometown of Winnipeg, Dr. Crawford moved to Moose Jaw, Sask., to work as a theatre manager. There he met his future wife Olga and they got married in 1952. They had two children and a grandson.
Dr. Crawford earned a bachelor of arts in 1954 and a doctor of dental medicine from the University of Manitoba in 1964. He practiced dentistry in Winnipeg for 25 years. During that time he taught dentistry part-time at his alma mater.
Dr. Crawford served as president of both the Manitoba and Canadian Dental associations. He was a fellow of the International College of Dentists, the American College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Society, the Academy of Dentistry International and the Royal College of Dentists of Canada.
In 1989, he retired from dental practice and moved to Ottawa to work as the editor of the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association for nine years. He then retired to Tsawwassen, BC. In 2019, Dr. Crawford was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada for his achievements as a clinician, educator and historian in the field of dentistry.
Dr. Crawford and Olga collected dental artifacts. Items from their collection can be found in dental museums across the country – including the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, the Canadian Dental Association in Ottawa, and the Dr. Ralph and Mrs. Olga Crawford Dental Collection at the Museum of Health Care in Kingston, Ont.
On February 21, 2020, Dr. Wise passed away at the age of 82 in his hometown of Winnipeg. After graduating from Kelvin High School, he went on to dental school at the University of Manitoba and graduated in 1963.
Dr. Wise married his wife Karen in 1965. They had three children and five grandchildren. Dr. Wise practiced dentistry in Winnipeg for 40 years.
Our sincere condolences to the families and friends of Dr. Patrick Ralph Crawford and Dr. Julius Wise.
Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis
Dean, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Manitoba