Dr. Henry S. Dunbar

Dr. Henry “Hank” S. Dunbar, DDS, died peacefully on May 7, 2015 at Stony Brook Medical Center with Elizabeth, his wife of fifty-six years, by his side. A loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, he cherished his family. After his family, his greatest loves were dentistry, storytelling including his recollections of his service in the US Army, and humor.

A service in celebration of his life will be held at 2:00 pm, Thursday June 4th at St. Charles AME Zion Church at 432 Valentine Ave, Sparkill, NY 10976. The Reverend Louis E. Sanders will be officiating. The celebration will be followed by a repast at the church.

Henry was born on November 21, 1930 in Westbury, NY to the late Reverend Shafter and Elma (Russell-Brown) Dunbar. A pastor’s son, he moved frequently within the AME Zion New York State Conference until the family settled in Sparkill. There, he attended public school and was president of his senior class at Tappan Zee High School. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science from New York University and graduated from the Howard University School of Dentistry with a Doctor of Dental Surgery. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Dental Corps and was later promoted to Captain. In 1958, he married the former Mabel Elizabeth Johnson. He served his country in Yokohama and Tokyo, Japan and at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York. After receiving an honorable discharge in 1967, he practiced privately on Long Island for almost 40 years, retiring in 2004.

He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter Linda Dunbar Barnes, son-in-law Kirk Barnes, and grandson Tegegn Yohannes Barnes, of Riverdale, New York, sisters Louise Robbins and Catherine Estwick as well as nieces, nephew, and in-laws.