David Bensinger

1926 - 2017

David A. Bensinger

May 14, 1926 - July 22, 2017

Dr. David August Bensinger passed away in San Francisco on July 22, 2017, at age 91. Beloved husband of Susanna Bensinger for 42 years; loving father of Judith (William) Haynes and Scott (Vicki) Bensinger; loving stepfather of Ruth Hartman (Gary Wolff), Emily (Avraham) Eisbruch and Sara Yashar (Mayer z"l); devoted grandfather of 11; and great grandfather of 3.
Born and raised in St. Louis, David received his B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis in 1944, his Doctor of Dental Surgery from St. Louis University School of Dental Medicine in 1948 and later attended a Management Program at Harvard Business School. He was deployed twice and served both in the U.S. Army Medical Department and in the U.S. Air Force Medical Department.
David's career was distinguished by his dedication to dental education. He was a Professor and Dean of the Washington University School of Dental Medicine, President of the Missouri Dental Association, President of the Midwest Society of Periodontists and editor of the Greater St. Louis Dental Society publications. He was a Fellow of both The American College of Dentists and The International College of Dentists. David was named "Alumnus of the Year" in 1968 by the Washington University Alumni Association and received a Service Award in 1971 from the Greater St. Louis Dental Society.
After his retirement in 1990, David and Susanna relocated to San Francisco, where David enjoyed continued community service as well as travel and photography. Other of David's hobbies included collecting antiques, calligraphy, and piloting small aircraft. He was a passionate traveler who enjoyed skiing the Austrian Alps and loved to research and explore lesser-known paths. He took several challenging treks in China and Central Asia that brought him a great appreciation of the lands and cultures he encountered. His creative digital photography, which used technology to form unique images of flowers and butterflies, has been exhibited in Belmont, CA, and St. Louis. His other activities were Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Western Division of the Institute of International Education, Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the Dean, University of California, School of Dentistry, and Trustee of the University of Notre Dame de Namur.
David will be forever in our hearts. A private service will be held.
Donations may be made to: L'Arche St. Louis, Inc., 2934 Marshall Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63143
L'Arche St. Louis: revealing the dignity of every human being by building a community of faith and belonging where people with and without intellectual disabilities share life together.