87 12 CLASS PHOTOS Front Row: John Weidenfeller, Thomas Beach, Dennis Gaishauser, Patricia Manzo, Soraya Steinhilber, Veronica Glogowski Back Row: Brad Kmentt, William Nelson, Andrew Steinhilber, Stephen Korn, Diana Kyrkos-Davenport 97 Front Row: Jill Babinec, Julie Obenchain, Robyn Vicek, Kim Menhinick, Alan Kuwabara Back Row: Cristian Chirla, Ryan Johnson, Steven Chadgimichaelidis, Charles Arens IV, Chris Cameron 92 Front Row: Malcolm Taylor, Sarah Davis, Margaret Pallone O’Keefe, Betty DeFilippo-Qadri, Joann Vallera, Robert Esser Back Row: John Nase, Tom Thomas, Mark Braydich, Mario Pavicic, Shokri Wahib, Azam Qadri, Steven Landman 02 Front Row: Scott Novak, Reid Wenger, Marko Farian, Kenneth Dibble Back Row: Andrew Wang, Michael Fioritto, Robert Barber, Bryce Burtenshaw, Chris Erskine
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD Earl B. Willhoit ’57 RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD 2007 Distinguished Alumnus Earl B. Willhoit ’57 has never shied away from hard work. In fact, in 2006, at the age <strong>of</strong> 83, he made more than fifteen trips from his home in Savannah, Georgia, to various cities around the United States in his role as an examiner for the North East Regional Board <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Examiners (NERB). He rarely misses a meeting <strong>of</strong> Dean Goldberg’s Visiting Committee at <strong>Case</strong> Western Reserve University <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>. “Dr. Willhoit is one <strong>of</strong> those dentists who is truly grateful for the many good things the pr<strong>of</strong>ession brings to those who practice it,” says Dean Jerold Goldberg. “He is an active member <strong>of</strong> our Visiting Committee and an ardent supporter <strong>of</strong> the dental school with a genuine concern for the future <strong>of</strong> our program.” “I always said if I got in to the <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong>, I would be loyal and give back, and I really feel that in my heart,” says Dr. Willhoit <strong>of</strong> his support for his alma mater. The work habits—and some <strong>of</strong> the hand skills—that made Dr. Willhoit a successful dentist in his three decades <strong>of</strong> private practice were absorbed at a young age. Raised primarily by his grandparents in the Glenville area <strong>of</strong> Cleveland, Ohio, he learned auto mechanics throughout junior high and high school. He worked full-time to put himself through college at <strong>Case</strong> Western Reserve University, attending college part-time for seven years to acquire a B.A. degree. Even as a full-time dental student with a wife and, after the first year, a child to support, he worked evenings, Saturdays, and summers. The route to college and dental school— and the rewards they brought—was not a direct one for Dr. Willhoit. Service to country came first. He signed up for the Navy the day after the United States entered World War II. After being sunk twice serving on supply ships doing convoy duty in the North Atlantic, he was reassigned to Treasure Island, in San Francisco, California, as a gunnery instructor. After a few months there, he again requested sea duty and was assigned to a submarine tender in the Pacific. The ship made the tail end <strong>of</strong> the Philippines invasion, and anchored in Leyte Bay, serviced submarines, sub chasers, and PT boats. As a Gunner’s Mate First Class, Willhoit was placed in charge <strong>of</strong> a gunnery department with 32 men reporting to him. Occasionally, when there was free time, he would find himself hanging around the on-board dental clinic and laboratory. “I thought dentistry was pretty interesting,” he recalls. “I liked the dentist I had as a child. I had an interest in the field.” He also was able to see the pr<strong>of</strong>ession as a way up the economic ladder. “Boy, those <strong>of</strong>ficers are no smarter than I am,” he said to himself. “I better go to college.” For twenty-two <strong>of</strong> Dr. Willhoit’s twenty-five years in private practice in Parma, Ohio, he also worked as a staff member and ultimately as chief <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Dental</strong> Department at the Cleveland Psychiatric Hospital. Moreover, he founded the Southwest Study Club, which is still active in the Parma and Parma Heights area. Later in his career as a dentist, Dr. Willhoit took an interest in financial planning and became a certified financial planner. For three years after he retired from dentistry he worked as a stock broker in Savannah, Georgia. Accustomed to working hard all his life, Dr. Willhoit finds the pace <strong>of</strong> retirement a little slow at times. “I still miss dentistry,” he says. “I miss the people. I miss the work.” Therefore, in addition to his work for the NERB, he has also volunteered his financial expertise through AARP and through his local church to help elderly people who need assistance with their taxes. This past spring, on his way to Cleveland for his 50th class reunion in May, Dr. Willhoit’s NERB travel schedule took him through Detroit, Michigan, Washington, D.C., and Lima, Dayton, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Willhoit has been married for 59 years to Wilma Willhoit. They have one daughter, Tiffany, married to Ron Kolat, and two grandchildren, Brittany, 22, and Brent, 24. 13
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