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Class of 1964 (Pediatric Dentistry)

DR. IAN C. BENNETT, PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 1964

Ian BennettDr. Ian Cecil Bennett, who went on to become dean at two dental schools after his residency at the University of Washington, died peacefully on Jan. 6, 2014 in Whatcom Hospice House in Bellingham, Wash. He was 82.

Dr. Bennett completed his dental degree in Liverpool, England, joined a geological expedition to Greenland, “hitched” a ride on a freighter to Canada and graduated from UW’s pediatric dentistry graduate program. In 1963, he joined the faculty at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia as Head of the Division of Paedodontics.

He served as dean of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (now the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine), where at age 39 he became the youngest dean at the time and was instrumental in the building of the new dental school. He returned to Dalhousie University as Dean from 1976 to 1986. He was a great supporter of the AADS/ADEA, the ACFD/AFDC and national organized dentistry.

Dr. Bennett retired to Vancouver, B.C., and married Dr. Marcia Boyd. They continued their personal and professional involvement in dentistry over the next 20-plus years. He spent the last 10 years in Washington state, in a beautiful place on the ocean enjoying crosswords, gardening, walking and reading.

Dr. Bennett is survived by his wife, Marcia; son Davis, his wife, Sue, and their sons, Jake and Dylan; daughter Sandy and granddaughter Kaylee; and brother Malcolm, his wife, Carole, and their daughters and families. He is predeceased by his first wife, Loreen.