Samuel Berkowitz

Dr. Samuel Berkowitz, an internationally renowned orthodontist, scholar, and clinical professor, passed away at his home in Coral Gables, Florida two weeks short of his 95th birthday. His legacy of love and dedication extended beyond his own family to the holistic care of the patients he served in his clinics, and through a lifetime of transformational maxillofacial research on cleft lip and palate. In 2016, the American Cleft Palate Association bestowed their highest recognition of lifetime achievement, the Honors of the Association, upon Dr. Berkowitz.

Samuel Berkowitz was born in the Bronx, NY to Yiddish-speaking Ukrainian immigrants, Golda and Menasha Berkowitz, who supported his family as a peddler. Samuel cultivated an early and profound commitment to public health, education, and community that he maintained throughout his lifetime. After graduating from Stuyvesant High School in NYC, he earned a BA in Biology at NYU in 1948, followed by a DDS at NYU's College of Dentistry in 1954. He was proud to serve his country as a lieutenant in the US Marines in Japan. He went on to specialize in orthodontics at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) from 1957 to 1959, where he became the first Fellow of the Craniofacial Center under acclaimed Director and longtime mentor, Samuel Pruzansky. Today, the Pruzansky-Berkowitz Museum at the UIC Medical School Craniofacial Center stands in honor of their global leadership in the field.

Sam established his orthodontic practice in South Miami, where he treated children with cleft lip and palate, enriching their quality of life with his deep empathy and expertise while conducting impactful research. He was Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Miami; co-founder, with surgeon Ralph Millard, of the University of Miami's South Florida Craniofacial Anomalies Program at the Mailman Center (1963-2000); orthodontic specialist with surgeon Tony Wolfe on the team at Nicklaus Children's Hospital (2000- 2010); and Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University and University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry. He was grateful for the lifetime of support and dedication of longtime assistants, Gilian Kelly and Rosie Sanchez, and clinical team, Ana Belmonte, Lesli Phipps Gagnon and Jackie Nunez.

Sam created, over three decades, the world's first comprehensive collection of cleft lip and palate treatment documentation of patients from infancy to adolescence, inspiring orthodontists and surgeons around the world to track facial and palatal changes over time to support evidence-based care targeted to the individual needs of each patient. His longitudinal records are housed at the National Museum of Health and Medicine at the Institute of Pathology, Walter Reed Hospital, Washington D.C.

Sam published extensively in books and journals. He authored Cleft Lip and Palate: Perspectives In Management - First Edition; co-authored Plastic Surgery of the Facial Skeleton with S.A Wolfe, M.D.; and contributed to and edited Cleft Lip and Palate: Diagnosis and Management, Second and Third Editions. At 93, nearly blind from macular degeneration, he remained determined to promote the multi-disciplinary team approach to patient care in his final book, Orthodontic-Surgical Partnership in Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment. Sam was active in several organizations and served as President of the American Cleft Palate Association Educational Foundation and the Florida Cleft Palate Association. He also received the Milo Hellman Award of Special Merit for his 3-D study of serial cleft palate casts using a digitizer created by NASA specifically for his study. He was honored by the Edward Angle Society of Orthodontists and the International Cleft Palate Foundation's First World Meeting in Zurich. The annual ACPA Berkowitz Award continues to support his commitment to the education of students in the field.

"Dr. B," as he was affectionately called, was commanding in stature but had a compassionate heart when addressing the physical, mental, and social health of his patients. For the families of newborns with cleft lip and palate, he wrote several pamphlets and books, including "The Cleft Palate Story," and developed a website to guide them through the everyday care of their children. For his adolescent patients, Dr. B devoted himself to learning about their goals and personal challenges. As a dad who had lost his own son, David, at 17 years of age in a car accident, Dr. B embraced this valuable opportunity to guide teens on preventive health and safety. According to Plastic Surgeon Richard Kirshner, Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Director of the Cleft Lip and Palate-Craniofacial Center at Nationwide Hospital in Ohio, "... to those of us who knew him best, it was always about the kids . . . his love and his concern for his young patients was always the driving force behind the man for whom we will always be grateful and a special human being that we will never forget." Dr. B was most proud that his teams were committed to serving patients from all over the world, regardless of their financial limitations. Some beneficiaries of his generosity went on to advocate before legislatures for healthcare reform so other children could receive this type of treatment. Dr. Mislen S. Bauer, a clinical geneticist at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, who worked closely with Dr. Berkowitz since 1988 on these multi-disciplinary teams, shared that "Sam was a powerful and outspoken advocate for children: he didn't hesitate to speak his mind about the importance of considering the progression of a child's facial growth in planning effective treatment."

Dr. Berkowitz was a popular speaker at workshops, teaching universities, and conferences in the US and abroad. Medical students from the University of Miami, such as Dr. Gary Speigelman, remember him as an "incredible teacher and a role model." For students, he created an online curriculum that covered topics from embryogenesis to craniofacial surgery and distraction osteogenesis. For doctors across the country and internationally, Dr. B provided hands-on clinical and research mentoring.

Reflections on his contributions have been shared by colleagues worldwide. From San Francisco, Marie Tolarova, MD, PhD, Executive Director, Pacific Craniofacial Team and Cleft Prevention Program at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry and President of the International Cleft Lip and Palate Foundation and the International Cleft Prevention Foundation, expressed, "it is with great respect and admiration for my dear friend and colleague that I have passed on to my orthodontic residents and young faculty Sam's clinical and scientific experience as well as his wisdom." From Dallas, Alex Kane, MD, Division Director of Pediatric and Craniofacial Surgery at Children's Health and Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center reminisced, "When Dr. Berkowitz strode to the microphone, the audience knew they would be hearing from a man who could see clearly through the fog and would stimulate meaningful dialogue about the most important subjects. He maintained his ability to see the important even as his own eyesight was failing him. Despite this obstacle, he remained true to his mission and possessed an unsurpassed clarity and vision of the challenges associated with craniofacial growth."

From overseas, Dr. Anne Marie Kuijpers-Jagtman, DDS Ph.D., former President of the Dutch Association for Cleft Lip and Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies, and former Director of the Cleft Palate Craniofacial Unit at the Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, shared that "Dr. Sam Berkowitz's legacy extends beyond his pioneering work; it lives on in the countless lives he touched and the profound impact he made on craniofacial orthodontics ... His approach to patient consultations showed compassion, empathy, and kindness, setting an exemplary standard in patient care ...Sam was not just a clinician and researcher but a role model. His influence will endure through generations of patients and practitioners he has inspired. To me and many colleagues, he will always remain 'Mr. Cleft Lip and Palate' ''.

To Sam's eight grandkids, he was simply "Poppop," always loving, giving, and present, but also someone who challenged and motivated them to think critically about themselves and the world. Together with his beloved wife, Lynn, he enjoyed the arts, traveling, and cheering at UM and Dolphin football games. He was an avid tennis player who taught all his children the love of the sport. According to Ed Swell, a 93-year-old childhood friend of Sam's from the Bronx, "Sandy was the only athlete good enough to play basketball with all the older kids. He was a handsome legend in the Bronx. But most importantly, he was the nicest guy. Everyone wanted to be his friend." Sam was also remembered for his beautiful sketching and love of photography; his creative talent would become valuable in a profession that benefited from both scientific and artistic skills.

Sam relished his friendships -- appreciative of the stimulating conversations and profound connections he enjoyed with his companions and colleagues. While his friends, career, and penchant for exploring world cultures took him to foreign lands, his favorite place with Lynn was their home of 61 years in Coral Gables, designed by architect and close friend Kenneth Treister. Sam's tropical abode fused his deep appreciation for art and nature, creating a warm and beautiful space that often brought together his family and friends to enjoy his impassioned storytelling.

Drawn by South Florida's flora and fauna, Sam found inspiration exploring the Everglades, snorkeling the coral reefs, strolling in Fairchild Tropical Gardens, and sailing on Biscayne Bay, the latter of which he enjoyed up to a few months prior to his passing. Having witnessed many environmental changes in Miami over the years, Sam supported efforts to combat and mitigate climate change. He left our world deeply concerned about the challenges to democracy in the US, the nation that welcomed his Jewish parents who had escaped from Eastern Europe to Cuba until eventually finding a home in New York City over 100 years ago.

Sam Berkowitz is survived by Lynn, his love of 63 years. Together, they parented three children: David Kenneth Berkowitz (1961 -1979), Beth Jo Berkowitz (Ruben Sklar), and Debra Lee Zebersky (Edward Zebersky). He adored his grandchildren, David, Myles, and Micah Zebersky and Danielle, Daviana, Khiara, David, and Julian Berkowitz-Sklar; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Karen and Dennis Bookshester; nieces, Marty, Phyllis, Alison, and Jackie; and cuddly dog, George. He is predeceased by his brother, Leonard Berkowitz, Phd.

Donations in memory of Dr. Samuel Berkowitz's lifelong dedication to improving physical and emotional health can be made at https://uif.uillinois.edu/give/ (Search 'Berkowitz' for the UIC Samuel Berkowitz Cleft Lip/Palate Education Fund) or the American Cleft Palate Association (ACPA) acpacares.org (Scroll down to Support ACPA, Give Now, Select Fund: Samuel Berkowitz LongTerm Study Award)

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