GILBERT M. ZAYON DDS

1923 - 2019

ZAYON, DDS
GILBERT M.

At 96, on May 20, 2019, of pneumonia. Born to Russian immigrant parents in Phila on March 4, 1923, Gil was selfless, sweet and funny until the end. With the late Jack Zafran, his 1948 Temple Dental classmate, Gil founded the Dental Center for the Disabled at Moss Rehab Hosp, directed dentistry at the Phila Geriatric Center, and served on the Albert Einstein Med Center staff for 35 yrs. A Temple faculty member, Gil taught special needs dentistry; lectured nationwide; consulted for the Nat'l Inst of Dental Research and the Vet Admin; and led the Phila County Dental Society committee on Access to Care. His federally sponsored research resulted in novel applications beyond dentistry--such as prosthetic limb attach-ment fabrication using dental materials and techniques. Gil was a First Lieut. in the US Army Dental Corps in France (1951-53) and a Private at Valley Forge Military Hosp (1943-44). He had a beautiful tenor voice and sang with his synagogue chorus (Beth Shalom) and the Bedpan Players at Albert Einstein Med Ctr. With Janice, his dear wife of 44 years, Gil raised 5 sons and a daughter and enjoyed 11 grand-children and 6 great-grands. His first wife, Beatrice, died in 1974. Diagnosed with Essential Tremor at the height of his career, Gil was a long-time participant in research at Yale-arranging for his brain to be donated there upon his death. Gifts in his honor: Yale School of Med, Dept. Neurology, Attn C. Grimm, PO Box 208018, New Haven, CT 06520. A celebration of Gil's life will be announced at a later date.