Dr. Hilde Tillman, age 96, died peacefully, on Dec 2, 2019. She was born in Berlin, Germany and was a survivor of the Holocaust. She and her late husband, Dr. Gene Tillman, were among the founding members of Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. She was a proud member of Temple Beth Elohim and enjoyed attending services there with her community.
Dr. Tillman received her B.S. from Simmons College and her D.M.D. from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, 1945-49, a time when very few dentists were women.
She completed postdoctoral training at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. She was Professor Emeritus at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine where she taught generations of dentists how to care for their elderly patients. She published numerous papers in the field of dental medicine, nutrition and geriatrics and was considered a pioneer in her field.
She was truly a champion of the elderly and an exemplary role model for her colleagues and students, all of whom loved her.
She made many contributions to the elder communities of Boston and surrounding areas including many years working with Boston Elder services.
Dr. Tillman was a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Dental Association and Massachusetts Dental Society. She was a lifelong member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU), the honor society for dentists.
She was honored with numerous awards throughout her career, including most recently, in 2015, the Tufts Dean’s Medal, the highest honor awarded by each school at Tufts and presented to individuals who have demonstrated loyalty, service and generosity.
Dr. Tillman brought a dedication and commitment to excellent care to all she treated throughout her distinguished career.
One of her favorite expressions was “old in years but young at heart”. She will always be remembered as being young in our hearts.
Services will be held on Wednesday, December 4 at 1:30 pm at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Road, Wellesley, MA with burial at Beit Olam Cemetery, Wayland, 61 Old Sudbury Road, Wayland. A Shiva will be held at Dr. Tillman’s home in Dover from 4-6pm. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Geriatrics Program, c/o Office of Development and Alumni Relations, One Kneeland Street, Boston, MA 02111.
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