One of the five founders of UK College of Dentistry, Dr. Stephen Dachi, passed away July 2, 2017, at age 84 after a long battle with cancer. In 1961, when Dr. Alvin Morris was named UKCD’s first dean, he hired Dachi to be the college’s first chairman of the Department of Oral Diagnosis and Oral Medicine. On July 1, 1961, the team gathered to develop a battle plan. 

“Starting a college in an empty cornfield was pretty exciting,” Dachi shared. “But most importantly, we worked together as a team to develop a philosophy and a curriculum we wanted, the kinds of professionals we wanted to educate, and the professional environment we wanted to foster in Kentucky.”

Shortly after the college was established, Morris also charged Dachi with establishing a continuing education program. Dachi proved to be an excellent ambassador for UK. He impressed the first CE class of 15 dentists by introducing them all by name the first day without consulting notes. Later, at a meeting of the Blue Grass Dental Society, he created a sensation by introducing all 70 members by name, area of practice, school attended, and address.

Dachi lived a colorful life, from his birth in Budapest, Hungary, until his passing. When he had a job opportunity in Latin America, he set upon teaching himself Spanish and Portuguese. In his spare time, he embarked on driving a Red Top Cab in Virginia, and later he lectured on cruise ships around the globe, sharing his vast knowledge of worldwide affairs. He was retired, but was still teaching students at George Washington University.

Dr. Wathen shares the following: 

On behalf of the UKCD Class of 1967, I can tell you that Dr. Dachi touched each of our lives in deeply meaningful ways, both personally and professionally. His loss is mourned by all of us who had the privilege of his mentorship and friendship.

We had hoped to see him at our 50th class reunion in October, to tell him once again what it meant to us to have him and the rest of the original faculty enter our lives in 1963 in such a wonderful, supportive, inspiring manner. They collectively gave us the keys to a most wonderful career, and we have tried to be worthy of our exemplars. We were so incredibly fortunate to be in the right place at the right time with the right faculty and the right educational philosophy.

We left UKCD with the innovative educational triad of technical competence, biologic orientation, and social sensitivity embedded permanently, and our subsequent patients benefited immensely from those values. Those student lives he touched have spread what he gave us throughout the world.There was no way we could appreciate it at the time - I actually thought all dental education was like ours until I got exposed to other dentists who had terribly negative educational experiences. How can we ever express adequate gratitude and love for those educational and personal gifts from our educators, mentors, and friends!