Dr. Richard Bullock

Dr. Richard Bullock

Yucca Valley - Dr. Richard Bullock, 69, of Yucca Valley California passed away unexpectedly in Palm Desert Sunday, March 23, 2019.

Dr. Bullock is survived by his son Connor Bullock who is pursuing a career in acting and modeling in New York City. He leaves two older brothers, Bruce Bullock and his wife Kelly of Newport Coast, California and Robert Bullock and his wife Kathy Abruzzo, realtors in The Villages, Florida.

Dr. Bullock grew up in Utica, New York where he graduated at the top of his class from New Hartford High School, Utica College of Syracuse University and University of Buffalo Dental School. He served as a dentist in the U.S. Navy in San Diego before being accepted into the UCLA Prosthodontics program, from which he received his degree in maxilla-facial prosthodontics. He remained there to teach prosthodontics at both UCLA and as adjunct professor at USC. He also served at USC County Medical Center before opening his first private practice in Santa Monica. In the late 1980s he moved his practice to Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage.

Dr. Bullock's patients included two U.S. presidents, ambassadors, actors, comedians and athletes. But he was most known for his pro-bono work for hundreds of patients who simply could not afford their own dental needs. Dr. Bullock was renowned among fellow professionals for his skill at the most difficult dental situations. He created devices to replace ears, eyes and major portions of patients' faces resulting from cancer, accidents and even birth defects. He was especially skilled in the area of bite-mark identification. His forensic work was critical to a number of criminal convictions including the notorious Hillside Strangler case in Los Angeles.

But it was his calm demeanor and compassion that made him so beloved to patients and friends alike. He loved sports, particularly baseball and the New York Yankees. He was captain of his high school hockey team which won a state championship in New York. He also loved plants, turning the area behind his dental office into a garden oasis of plants others had discarded as dead. His other great love was dogs and he always owned several.

Richard's patients and friends spanned North America and he visited them from Mexico City to Toronto, Alaska to Florida. He was a beloved friend to all who knew him and will be missed more for his companionship than even his kindness, compassion and sense of humor.

A memorial service is scheduled for May 11, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. at Southwest Church, 44-175 Washington Street, Indian Wells, CA 92210. Friends and family will also convene in his honor in New York around Memorial Day. Dr. Bullock would have encouraged contributions in his name to Southwest Church.