Dr. B.C. Kingsbury Jr.

July 31, 1917 ­ Aug. 19, 2003
A Life of Accomplishment
Dr. B.C. Kingsbury Jr., passed away peacefully at the age of 86 on Aug. 19, 2003, in his Green Valley home with his loving family at his side.
Dr. Kingsbury is survived by his wife of 37 years, Myrna; his nine children, Pat Beardslee of Reno, Bruce Kingsbury, Loré Kingsbury of Suisun City, Dan Kingsbury of Canada, Deborah Kingsbury of Vallejo, Rick Washabaugh of Milford, Penny Doll of Green Valley, Andrea Frische of Fairfield and Dana Kingsbury of Green Valley; 16 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and several nieces and a nephew. Dr. Kingsbury was predeceased by his brother, Dr. Kenneth Kingsbury of San Francisco.
Dr. Kingsbury enjoyed a long and distinguished life. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from Lowell High School, received his B.S. from Stanford University and his D.D.S. from the College of Physicians and Surgeons (now the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry). He has honorary degrees of an F.A.C.D. and F.I.C.D. and a post-graduate program certificate from the Mayo Foundation.
Dr. Kingsbury was a commander in the U.S. Navy, with eight years service in World War II in the Pacific Theater, including combat in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, receiving Presidential commendations. He was injured in the attack on Pearl Harbor and convalesced at Mare Island Naval Hospital. He later established his practice of 50 years in Vallejo.
Dr. Kingsbury was a highly respected oral surgeon and a leader in his profession. He was president of the Northern California Society of Oral Surgeons and the president of the American Society of Oral Surgeons, and was an oral surgery staff member at eight hospitals. He served as chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee of the California and Southern California Dental Associations, as a delegate to and member of the Board of Directors of the California Dental Association, and as president of the California Dental Service Corporation and a member of its Board of Directors. He was also on the Board of Directors of the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. He was a consultant in oral surgery to the U.S. Naval Dental Service and the U.S. Air Force Dental Corps, as well as to the Department of Correction and the Department of Mental Hygiene for the State of California, California Veteran¹s Hospital, Mare Island Naval Hospital, and Oak Knoll Naval Hospital. Dr. Kingsbury was a delegate to the American Dental Association and the American Society of Oral Surgeons, to which he was also a member of the Board of Directors. He went on to become the president of the Napa Solano Dental Association and the California Dental Association, the first time both father and son served in this capacity. His father, Dr. Bernerd C. Kingsbury, also served as president of the American Dental Association.
Dr. Kingsbury was a member of the Board of Directors at Vallejo General Hospital, a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon and Delta Sigma Delta professional honor societies, a fellow of the American College of Dentists, chairman of the Health Services Plans Committee (a society of oral surgeons) and president of the Center for the Correction of Dental Facial Deformities at St. Luke¹s Hospital in San Francisco.
His experience in socio-economic matters was balanced by his demonstrated insight and ardent support of education, having served as an assistant clinical professor of oral surgery for nine years at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and authoring numerous scientific articles.
In addition to his illustrious professional career, Dr. Kingsbury was an active community, business and political leader. His community-oriented activities included being a member of the Board of Directors of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, United Crusade, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America and Navy League. He was fund drive chairman for the Boy Scouts, Crippled Children and Red Cross. He was a member of the Vallejo Kiwanis Club and president of the Vallejo Rotary. He was also a member of the Fairfield Lions Club, the Elks Club, the Commonwealth Club, the Olympic Club and Family Club. Recognizing his longtime support and personal flair, the women¹s Vallejo Soroptimist Club recently made him an honorary member.
He was campaign chairman for four state senators and one state governor race. Throughout his lifetime he maintained an active interest in local and national politics. He was first president and founder of the Green Valley Country Club, a member of the Silverado Country Club and was the president of the Solano County Tennis Association. Most recently, he was chairperson of the Board of Directors at the California State University Maritime Academy in Vallejo.
Dr. Kingsbury¹s business activities included land development and retail sales ventures and he was president of the Green Valley Land Development Corporation. He was instrumental in the development of the Solano County area.
Dr. Kingsbury was also an avid sportsman. His sports interests included golf, hunting, fishing, badminton, tennis and boating.
Dr. Kingsbury¹s incredible presence and enthusiasm for life lit up the lives of so many. He will be dearly missed by his friends, colleagues and family.
³We wish you warm days and cool evenings, a mountain stream with character, afternoon breezes with a scent of pine, savvy fish to test your talents, the warm glow of a campfire, and good company with whom to raise your glass, and a smile that will ever last.²
Visitation will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, 2003 at Twin Chapels, 1100 Tennessee St., Vallejo. Services will be held at Community Methodist Church, 1875 Fairfield Ave., in Fairfield, at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2003. A reception will follow at Green Valley Country Club. Burial will be private in Rockville Cemetery, Suisun City.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the California Maritime Academy Foundation¹s BCK Memorial Fund, 200 Maritime Academy Drive, Vallejo, Calif., 94590. For more information, contact Susan Bigler at 707-654-1011 or e-mail to sbigler@csum.edu.
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