PATRICK RALPH CRAWFORD

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PATRICK RALPH CRAWFORD
C.M., BA, DMD

On Monday, July 13, 2020, Patrick Ralph Crawford (better known as Ralph), loving husband and father, passed away at age 92 in the Delta Hospital, Delta, BC.
Ralph was born in 1928 in Winnipeg, MB to Hector and Eileen Lusignan. After graduation from high school he moved to Moose Jaw, SK to work as a Famous Players theatre manager. There he met Olga (née Nazarewich) and they married in 1952. He returned to school, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1954 and a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in 1964. He practiced dentistry in Winnipeg for 25 years during which he also taught part-time at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Dentistry. He retired from active dental practice in 1989, first moving to Ottawa to work as Editor of the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association for nine years, then retiring to Tsawwassen, BC. Ralph stayed active through retirement, volunteering on his strata council and a local thrift shop.
Ralph was active in dental association affairs, serving as President of both the Manitoba and Canadian Dental associations. He is the only dentist in Canada to be recognized with Honorary Memberships in both organizations, and 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 2019, Ralph was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for his long-lasting achievements as a clinician, educator, and historian in the field of dentistry.
Ralph and Olga were interested in collecting dental artifacts and memorabilia. Artifacts they collected can be found in dental museums at the Faculty of Dentistry in Winnipeg, the Canadian Dental Association in Ottawa, ON, at the Arnprior Museum in Arnprior, ON, and in the Dr. Ralph and Mrs. Olga Crawford Dental Collection in the Museum of Health Care in Kingston, ON. Ralph is also the author of "The Canadian Dental Association 1902-2002 - A Century of Service", a series of articles outlining the CDA's first 100 years
He will be greatly missed by his wife, Olga, son Patrick (wife Donna Giberson), daughter Aileen (husband Rodney Stuart), grandson Julian, extended family, and many friends he has met along the way.
Due to Covid-19 provisions, the service will be limited to immediate family members only.
In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in his name to the Museum of Healthcare at Kingston (www.museumofhealthcare.ca), Museum of Healthcare, 32 George Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2V7.

Delta Funeral Home
(604) 946-6040

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 18, 2020