Passings

Bill C. Terry, Former Faculty Member and Professor Emeritus, Passes Away

On Saturday, February 16, 2013, former faculty member and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Dr. Bill C. Terry passed away.

Terry, a 1954 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, served in the United States Navy after earning his D.D.S. He completed his oral surgery training at Oakland Naval Hospital and, following his tour of duty in Vietnam on the U.S.S. Repose, he traveled to Switzerland. While there, he attended the University of Zurich Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. His final years in the Navy were as chair of the Department of Dentistry and chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Upon retiring from the Navy, he joined the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry as professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and director of OMS Resident Training. Among many notable accomplishments while at the school, Terry and his departmental colleagues were one of the first groups to use rigid fixation in their procedures. During his time at UNC, he became known as a trusted friend and respected colleague among his fellow faculty members. He retired from the University in 1995. Through his association with the school, Terry was named a professor emeritus.

During his career, Terry authored or co-authored more than 60 articles and chapters in books. He has lectured extensively in the United States, Europe and Asia. His clinical interests included management of acute trauma, reconstructive surgery, preprosthetic and orthognathic surgery, and management of pathology. He held memberships in the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), the Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (SSOMS), the European Association of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgeons, among others. He was a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS) and served as president in 1985-86.

“Dr. Terry was a giant among the leaders of the American Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Educators,” said Dr. Tim Turvey, chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. “Especially at UNC, his presence will be missed by many.”

Terry is survived by his wife, Barbara D’zan-Terry; his son, Carlton, and daughter-in-law, Wendy; his stepchildren, Larin Houpt, Nicole Rollins and Justin D’zan; and seven grandchildren. His funeral will be held on Saturday, February 23 at 10:30 a.m. at the Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Chapel Hill.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be directed to the Dr. Bill Terry Center of Excellence in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery endowment fund. Donations may be made online by clicking here and selecting the requested fund (number 2123), or sent by U.S. Mail to The Dental Foundation of North Carolina, CB #7450, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599-7450. If mailing a contribution, please clearly note that it should go to to the Dr. Bill Terry Center of Excellence in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery fund.