Stewart Shapiro

Dr. Stewart Shapiro passed away on October 8, 2019. He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, to Jessie and Irving Shapiro on March 21, 1937. He was a humble man who did not discuss his many activities and accomplishments. However, he was quick to brag and talk about his children and grandchildren. As a young man, he attended the Yeshiva Academy in Boston and studied under rabbis who survived the holocaust. He always sought to learn of other faiths and attend Boston College, a Jesuit college, where he received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Biology with minors in Theology and Philosophy. As a young man, he considered entering the clergy. That desire defined how he would dedicate himself toward the welfare of the disadvantaged and needy. He earned a Doctor of Dental Medicine from Tufts University, a Master’s of Science in Epidemiology from Harvard University, and a PhD in Education from Century University. He was always seeking new challenges and experienced a broad range of accomplishments during his lifetime in the military, private practice, education, public health, and political arenas. He served for seven years in the Air Force Reserves during the Vietnam War on special assignment between Hanscom Air Base in Massachusetts and Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and was assigned to the 901st Tactical Air Group. He practiced dentistry in Randolph, Massachusetts for several years. His thirst for political endeavors began when he was elected to the Board of Health. In 1972, he was recruited as one of eleven professors as the founding faculty starting the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. Prior to coming to Oklahoma, he held faculty positions at prestigious institutions including the Forsyth Research Institute in Boston, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, University of Maryland College of Dentistry, and at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Department of Chronic Disease. At the University of Oklahoma, he held professorships at the College of Dentistry, the College of Medicine, and the Graduate College. He was an active researcher and published a tremendous number of scientific reports, focusing upon a vast array of subjects. His curiosities were unlimited and he pursued them, with great vigor and knowledge. He presented numerous continuing education courses in more than 18 states, wrote several teaching manuals and computer teaching programs, and was awarded several State and Federal teaching, research and teaching programs, and research and teaching grants. His unyielding efforts played a critical role in establishing geriatrics to become a mainstream teaching program at the OU Health Sciences Center and was the first awardee noting special contributions to geriatric education by the Oklahoma Geriatrics Education Center. He was a Charter Member and co-author of the grant providing for the Donated Dental Services Program of the American Association providing free dental care to the handicapped, financially and medically indigent, and the elderly and was a charter incorporator for the D-DENT Program eventually adopted by the Oklahoma Dental Association.

He received numerous awards including the State of Oklahoma Public Health Exceptional; Merit Award for Special Achievements, State of Oklahoma Public Association Section of Dental Public Health Special Program Award, Associates Distinguished Lectureship (OU), Provost’s Special Award (OU), the Benjamin Franklin Writing Award from the Oklahoma Dental Association, Distinguished Professorship (Texas Woman’s University), Outstanding Faculty Achievement Award (OU College of Dentistry).

He had held hospital appointments at Boston Floating Hospital, New England Center Hospital, Baltimore City Hospital, O’Donoghue Rehabilitation Center, Muskogee Veteran’s Hospital, Oklahoma Children’s Memorial Hospital, and South Community Hospital. He had been a consultant to numerous state and national programs including the Job Corps Program (US Dept. Labor), Division of Dental Health (US Dept. of HEW), National Institute of Drug Abuse, National dental Curriculum Study, Oklahoma Council for Higher Education, Alliance for Aging, Head Start (US Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare), Oklahoma Dept. of Economics and Community Affairs, Governor’s Delegate to the Oklahoma State White House conference of Aging, and Chairman of the Committee on Auxiliaries for the Board of Governors of Registered Dentists in Oklahoma. Among his many professional memberships, he was a member of the Oklahoma Dental Association (Editor of the Journal), Oklahoma Public Health Association (President of the Oral Health Section), American Dental Association, American Association of Dental Schools (President, Section of Preventive Dentistry), American Association of University Professors, American Society of Geriatric Dentistry, the Academy of Operative Dentistry, and Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Society.

He retired in 1999 as an Emeritus Professor from OU Health Sciences Center. Upon his retirement, he entered the political arena and was employed as a special consultant to the Administrative Rules Committee at the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He was a candidate for State Representative in 2004 and later elected to the Warr Acres City Council, serving for several terms and was Vice Mayor for many years. He lived and loved life to the extreme, always seeking new challenges.

To his family he was a tower of strength for them and they always sought out his counsel and support. He was lovingly called “Papa” by his grandchildren whom he adored. He was proud that his daughters sought careers helping the sick, disadvantaged, elderly and handicapped. Although he did not attend places of worship regularly, he was a man of deep faith, he felt that the manner of living and loving brought God into his life. Upon his retirement, he set up a workshop in his garage and built dollhouses, furniture, and other things as a hobby which he always wanted to do. So, in final thought, Dr. Shapiro in a humble and professional manner, has made a major contribution to the health and welfare of the people of Oklahoma and will be remembered by many as a caring and wonderful professional person.

Services will be 11 am, Friday, October 11, 2019 at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, 8701 N.W. Expressway. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the St. Jude’s Hospital, one of his favorite charities.