Embracing a New Era
Dr Donald Falik, a beloved dentist, student, and our dear friend died tragically in an airplane accident on December 30, 2018. Don lived life to the fullest, cherished his friends and family and gave freely of himself in order to help others. Dentistry, flying, and car collecting were his favorite activities in life. He and his wife Lee were married for 49 years and were avid travelers, taking several trips to Mexico and Europe. A devoted family man, Don was very proud of his wife, sons, and especially adored his two darling granddaughters.
Don graduated from the University of Detroit Dental School in 1970, served in the Navy Dental Corps and then opened his practice in Charlotte, MI in 1972. We first met Don a few years after when he attended Big Bob’s Comprehensive Orthodontic Education Program and his passion for orthodontics was fueled, continuing to blaze throughout his entire career. Over the decades, we have known Don as an avid student, loyal friend, and trusted mentor to our other students. Don was always curious and each year came back to our class to learn about new things, but always spent time encouraging and sharing his knowledge and experience with our newer students. He would bring his own finished case study models to the class and humbly display them on a table in the classroom for others to see what they too could achieve; always taking the time to discuss the cases and answer others’ questions. Big Bob always looked forward to seeing Don’s table display and presented him with a “Little Bob” sign to add to his table, a symbol of the true respect that Big Bob had for his friend Don.
To all of us at Gerety Orthodontic Seminars, Don was a dear friend, avid supporter and an integral part of our community and team. We will miss him dearly!
