Remembering Henry A Gremillion

October 15, 1951 – May 17, 2020

Memories of Henry Gremillion by Mark Hargreaves

I first met Henry at AES Chicago in February 2003 though he had already presented to BSOS the previously. Jette Holbrook was organising a trip for a dozen BSOS members to The University of Florida Shand Medical and Dental Hospital. We were to spend a week at the Parker E Mahan Facial Pain Center (now closed) of which Henry was the director. It was probably the most worthwhile week I’ve ever spent in Dentistry.

When I think back, I’m staggered by the amount of work he must have put in to organising our week. Clinics, lectures, dissections, visits from other distinguished clinicians and Parker Mahan himself being around most days. He even volunteered to be on the receiving end of an auriculo-temporal nerve block, just so we could see how it was done.

We had a fabulous time, both educationally and socially. He, his wife Mackey and family entertained us one evening and were very generous hosts. We had a Louisiana themed evening with great Creole food and lots of cocktails. After that I looked forward to catching up with him in Chicago at AES each year. He was President for AES’s 50th year in 2005 and organised a special 3 day meeting with a Black Tie Dinner honouring many of the previous presidents.

He would often lecture at AES and had a strong vision for the future. He would talk about dentists as physicians of the mouth and felt we had a very important place in the healthcare fraternity. We were also privileged to have him speak at BSOS Meetings. Many of you will remember him.

Henry qualified in 1977 at LSU and at first worked as a GDP in Cottonport, Louisiana, becoming a big part of his local community. He then went to UFCD in 1991 working in Prosthodontics and Orthodontics before becoming director of the Parker E Mahan Facial Pain Center.

As well as being a full professor he returned to his home state, becoming Dean of Louisiana State University Dental School in 2008. He has taught for Pankey, Dawson and many others. He was a distinguished member of many societies and received many honours in the world of dentistry, perhaps the greatest being in 2015 the Pierre Fauchard Gold Medal.

Henry leaves behind his wife of 47 years, Mackey, four children and ten grandchildren. He will be greatly, greatly, missed.

Henry was the most special of men. I’m proud to have known him, to have been educated by him, to have had him generously share his slides with me, to have had him as a mentor but most of all to be able to call him a friend.

Mark

Henry A Gremillion
LSU Health School of Dentistry Dean
October 15, 1951 – May 18, 2020

Due to COVID-19, a private family church service will be held for Dr. Gremillion. A memorial service for family and friends will be held later this year. The date has not been determined.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you contribute to LSUSD to benefit Orofacial Pain in his memory.

You can do this by credit card, visit https://give.lsuhealthfoundation.org/Dentistry and leave the designation as Dean’s Fund.

The BSOS has chosen to donate $100.