Dr. Michael C. McCann

McCANN, Dr. Michael C.
Dr. Michael C. McCann died July 30th, 2005, at Lake Arrowhead. Dr. McCann was a professor of dentistry at UCLA for 27 years and also maintained a private practice. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Kathleen; his daughter, Liz King of Portland, Maine; his son, Greg; his five sisters: Ann, Abby, Debby, Margaret, and Kathy; his brother, Bill; his sister-in-law, Mary Creutz and many nieces and nephews. His funeral will be Friday, August 5th, at 11:00 a.m., at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Westwood. There will also be a viewing at St. Paul's, at 10:00 a.m. Michael did his undergraduate studies at Santa Clara, his DDS at Creighton University and his MS in Pedodontics at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. In 1961 he set off on three years of travel through Africa, the Middle East, India and Australia. He studied orthodontics at the University of New Zealand and taught there until he returned to the United States in 1964. He joined the newly formed UCLA Dental Faculty and created the curriculum for Pedodontics. While at UCLA, Dr. McCann won numerous Teacher of the Year awards and was admired by his students. He and his wife Kathleen frequently hosted dinner parties for his students. He believed that the student-teacher relationship went beyond the classroom. He acted upon this belief by welcoming UCLA and foreign students to his home for 35 years. Michael and Kathleen also dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy to the care of senior citizens. In 1971 they, along with Mary Creutz, Michael's sister-in-law, opened the Maria Prima Residence for senior citizens, which offered seniors an alternative to traditional retirement homes. The McCann's enriched the lives of their residents by having events such as live concerts, poetry readings and visits by students. Maria Prima truly became Michael's passion. Whether changing a light bulb, greeting those attending Easter Mass or simply listening to and remembering life stories from a resident, Michael truly earned the nickname given to him, "St. Michael." In lieu of flowers, Michael would appreciate donations to the American Parkinson's Disease Assn., Amnesty International, Creighton University, So. Poverty Law Center, OPICA or United Farm Workers.