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William Proffit
1936 - 2018
William Proffit
1936 - 2018
Obituary
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William Proffit Obituary
April 19, 1936 - September 30, 2018
Chapel Hill
Dr. William "Bill" Robert Proffit of Chapel Hill, N.C. passed away on Sunday, September 30, 2018.
Dr Proffit served as the chairman of the UNC department of Orthodontics from 1975-2001, and was still actively involved in teaching and lecturing at UNC and worldwide up until the time of his death. In 1992, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees honored Dr. Proffit by naming him a W.R. Kenan Distinguished Professor, which is considered one of the University's most prestigious honors. His other accolades include: the 1994 American Dental Association Norton Ross Award, the 2005 American Board of Orthodontics Albert H. Ketchum Award, and the 2017 inaugural American Association of Orthodontics Lifetime Achievement Award in Orthodontic Research. Dr. Proffit's incredible expertise and unprecedented influence on orthodontics, not only in the United States but around the world, earned him global recognition as one of the leaders in orthodontics. He authored "Contemporary Orthodontics", considered the definitive text for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral orthodontics students, which just recently was completed in its sixth edition and is printed in 12 languages. During his career, Dr. Proffit published more than 200 scientific papers, 20 book chapters and invited contributions.
He is survived by Sara, his wife of 65 years; three children, Lola Baker (Mike), Ed Proffit (Melissa), and Glenn Proffit (Laura), eight grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, an endowed chair at UNC is being created in his honor. To make a memorial contribution to the Dr. William R. Proffit Professorship, please send donations to: The Dental Foundation of North Carolina, UNC School of Dentistry, 1090 First Dental Bldg., CB #7450 Chapel Hill, NC 27566-7450, or https://giving.unc.edu/gift/proffit
A memorial service will be held at Carol Woods Retirement Community, 750 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill, on Saturday, October 6th at 3:00 in the afternoon. Online condolences may be submitted at www.walkersfuneralservice.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Bart Vande Vannt
October 19, 2018
"In name of the BUOS (Belgian Union of Orthodontic specialists) we want to express our deep feelings of sympathy with the death of Prof. Dr. William Robert Proffit. He taught us that no book and no theory can take the place of practice and own experience. You can learn a lot from someone who has a lot of experience. If there was a cookbook about orthodontics, comparable to the "Escoffier", then Prof Dr William Proffit provided all the elements to be able to perform the profession of orthodontist in all honor and conscience. The contributions he made will forever be etched in our memory and used further. Thank for being a mentor to our profession."
Bart Vande Vannet
president BUOS
October 18, 2018
My sincere condolences to all the family.
I have had the great privilege of being able to hear Prof many times, & was lucky to be able to attend a mini-residency at Chapel Hill in 1989.
Prof has been truly the God of Orthodontics: always inspiring, a wonderfully wise guide.
He did me the great honour of writing a letter of support in my application for Specialist Registration when New Zealand formalised Specialties in Dentistry & I & others were "Grandfathered".
Thank you, Prof, for your wonderful wisdom & friendship. I will value it for the rest of my life.
I was thrilled to hear you & meet with you again in Barcelona last September. Little did I think it would be the last time.
God speed & God bless
Michael Taylor, Wellington, New Zealand
October 17, 2018
Dr. Proffit: Thanks for being our mentor, friend, and inspiration. We were a very fortunate few, really, to have had the opportunity to experience the UNC program under your guidance. You reached the world, of course, but we were blessed. Bill Montgomery
Michael SNOW
October 11, 2018
Bill...
You were both a sherpa in my own everest climb in life`s journeys...
A gentle giant, a man to always look up to !
An academic mentor and personal lighhouse for me... in guiding me through the stormy waters of professional life !
Michael Desmond SNOW
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October 8, 2018
Dear Sara,
I am blessed to have so many memories of time with you and Prof. Prof opened many doors for me but the ones I cherish most are those in your home. The front door, of course, but the back of the door with Prof's ties is my favorite. I also loved the chats in the rocking chairs with a touch of scotch!
My deepest sympathy,
Clarke Stevens
Sylvain Chamberland
October 5, 2018
Dr Proffit is a true mentor for many of us in orthodontics. He is the father of Contemporary Orthodontics.
Sylvain Chamberland
October 5, 2018
Madame Sara and you family. From Carole Boucher and I, please accept my deepest condolences.
Ingrid Martinez sinovas
October 5, 2018
From Barcelona my condolences! Great teacher! The Orthodontic Boss! RIP! Thanks God that I can heard him last year!! RIP! Always in our hearts!
Tammy Severt
October 4, 2018
Dear Sara and family,
My deepest condolences on the loss of your husband and father. You have been foremost in my thoughts this week. As you know, he was so respected and beloved by his residents and his professional contributions are unparalleled. We will miss our dear Prof so much. My prayers are with you now and in the coming days.
Todd Hamilton
October 4, 2018
So loved and will miss Proff! His passion for orthodontics and life were contagious and made all of us better people and orthodontists. He created an unparalleled environment for learning. I always tell people he was the best teacher I ever had because he didn't teach us what to do, he taught us how to think. The profession of orthodontics and UNC will miss him greatly. So sorry for your loss Sara.
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