Wayne Marshall Grossman

Wayne Marshall Grossman passed away 23 days after a diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. His wife, Zoe, son, Alan, and sister, Sandy, were at his side, along with longtime special friends. Wayne was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 13, 1949 to Michael and Faye Grossman. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, his step-mother, Sylvia Grossman, and his grandparents Hyman and Elizabeth Shatkoff and Samuel and Della Grossman. He honored the legacy of his father’s family, “the Fighting Grossmans;” all ten uncles served their country with honor and distinction during the second World War. Wayne was the eldest child, and moved to the Sacramento area when his father accepted employment with Aerojet in 1961. He attended Cordova High School and graduated with honors. He attended American River College, and the University of California, Davis, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences. Wayne attended the University of California, San Francisco Dental School, graduating in 1975. He completed the specialty program in Pedodontics, children’s dentistry, in 1977. Wayne and Zoe met at Hammarskjöld House, a specialty dormitory at UC Davis focused on international relations, politics, and postprandial discussions. It was there Wayne and Zoe fell in love and their college romance led to their marriage on September 24, 1977. Wayne started his dental practice with the help of Zoe, Sandy, and other family members. Wayne and Zoe formed a formidable team to manage the dental practice, which they ran together up to the present. He designed his offices around themes of his interest. For example, his first office had a 1930s streamline passenger train motif, which included HO gauge trains running through both the treatment and business areas. At the Gold River Pediatric Dentistry Office, a 1930s outdoor lodge theme was designed. Murry the Moose greets all patients, and trout and turtle ponds provide patients with wildlife distractions. Wayne was a member of many organized dental associations, including the California Society of Pediatric Dentistry, where he served as President from 1999-2000, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry, the Sacramento District Dental Society, the California Dental Association, and the American Dental Association. Wayne was a member of Congregation B’nai Israel for 55 years and a member of Congregation Beth Shalom. He was known for his competitive spirit, his wicked sense of humor, and his penchant for performance art. Wayne enjoyed stimulating conversations with his colleagues and friends, and the lively resulting discussions. His values and global point of view were well-known and complimented by his love of history, geography, and politics. Wayne was passionate about treating children, and his “legacy” patients. He particularly enjoyed helping medically-compromised and special-needs children. He was the preeminent problem-solver, treating each patient individually and with care. He prided himself on having a staff which shared his values, respected his patients, and loved the profession. Throughout his career of treating children, Wayne and Zoe felt a deep desire for a child of their own. In 1997, they adopted their son, Alan, from Magadan, Russia. He so enjoyed raising his son, and taking both national and international trips with him. One of the true delights of his life was planning and watching Alan become a bar mitzvah. Folk music was the joy of his youth, and was beloved throughout his life. He loved both instrumental music and acappella. He will be remembered for his creativity, his mischievousness, and his ability to look at a problem and come up with not one, but many creative solutions. He possessed a strong sense of values, which were firmly based in his Jewish identity, and a strong sense of family, and long-held friends. He is survived by his wife, Zoe; son, Alan; sister, Sandy, and her children Josh, Shaun, and Brittany and their families; step-sisters, Danielle Hess and Denise Etheridge and their families; step-brother Allan Schneider and his family; his uncles, Alvin Malkin and Carl Grossman and their families; and numerous cousins. His family would like to express their appreciation for the immediate response by his long-time friends, colleagues, and family to his terminal illness. Services will be held on Sunday, July 31, 2016, at 10:30 AM, at the Home of Peace Cemetery. Donations can be made in Wayne’s memory to the Home of Peace Cemetery. Arrangements under the care of Lombard & Co Funeral Directors.