Remembering Dr. Merwin Wolf
On Thursday, June 22, 2017, Merwin Wolf, D.D.S., an oral surgeon and founding member of the Einstein faculty died at his home in Buffalo. He was 89.
Beloved by generations of Einstein faculty, students and staff, Dr. Wolf was invited to establish his practice at the Jack D. Weiler Hospital when it opened on Eastchester Road in 1958. For 35 years, from his second floor office in the Western Pavilion and at an office on Poplar Street, he saw patients —many of them Einstein and Montefiore faculty and staff. In that time, he also served as director of the division of dentistry and assistant professor of dentistry.
Merwin Wolf, D.D.S.
“He was an extraordinary oral surgeon and mentor who kept Einstein at the forefront of new techniques,” said Dr. Edward Burns, executive dean at Einstein.
“Merwin was a major fixture at Einstein, involved in all aspects of the hospital” recalled Dr. Lawrence Holtzman, a colleague and former resident. (The College of Medicine oversaw the operation of Weiler Hospital until 1969. Montefiore then took over that function.) “He was highly respected by everyone, which is reflected by the fact that he is the only non-physician to serve as chair of the hospital’s medical council.”
Compassionate Caregiver
Dr. Holtzman added, “Merwin loved being Dr. Wolf because it allowed him to help people. And he taught those of us whom he mentored how to be a doctor. To this day, he’s like the Flintstone’s Mr. Kazoo on my shoulder; I can hear his voice when I’m working on a difficult case reminding me that dentists refer only tough cases to oral surgeons and our role as specialists is to make them easy.”
“He was the epitome of ‘keep calm and carry on,’” recalled Dr. Lynn Greene, who was a resident under Dr. Wolf during the mid-1980s and then worked with him for 15 years. “He set an example of how to be a professional by how he practiced and interacted with others. He respected everyone’s humanity and it was clear that everyone was important to him, no matter who they were.”
Talented Teacher
“Merwin was a great teacher who could patiently convey difficult concepts in an easily understood manner, and he treated all of his residents as if they were his children, teaching them with love, said Dr. Barry Dolich, a plastic surgeon who worked with Dr. Wolf on numerous maxillofacial cases. “In my 55 years in medicine, he stands out as one of the great mentors that I’ve been lucky enough to have encountered. He was a skilled and talented surgeon, too, who was respectful of all members of the surgical team.”
“I owe my career to him,” said Dr. Charles Hoffman, who first observed Dr. Wolf from the dentist’s chair.
“I was in high school and he removed my wisdom teeth,” recalled Dr. Hoffman, whose father trained in medicine at Einstein. “Dr. Wolf also talked to me about what I wanted to do, and he recommended dentistry.”
Throughout high school and college, at Dr. Wolf’s invitation, the young Charles Hoffman would come to his mentor’s office to observe dental techniques and oral surgeries. He then attended New York University’s School of Dentistry, like Dr. Wolf. And even then, Dr. Wolf continued to mentor him. “His assistant Rosemary would call me up and say ‘Dr. Wolf wants you to come in.’ And, I would go.”
Dr. Hoffman then trained in oral surgery at Einstein-Montefiore, and he joined the practice that Dr. Wolf had established with Dr. Holtzman just as their mentor retired.
Also a Skillful Practitioner
His peers considered him to be at the top of his profession technically and personally.
“Merwin employed the integrated, complete-patient approach long before it became popular, and he had a way with people that was quite extraordinary,” noted Dr. Kenneth Treitel, clinical assistant professor of dentistry at Einstein and a fellow dentist at Montefiore who often referred cases for surgery to Dr. Wolf.
“He brought awareness of dentistry and oral surgery to the Einstein faculty and staff,” said Dr. Joel Friedman, who was a resident under Dr. Wolf and ultimately succeeded him as director of the division of dentistry. “He was an incredible mentor to countless dentists, oral surgeons, and other physicians, setting an extraordinary example for us all in the dignified way he interacted with everyone and his mastery of surgical techniques.”
Dr. Wolf received his bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and his doctorate in dentistry from the NYU School of Dentistry. He joined the Einstein faculty on October 1, 1958 and was active full-time until his retirement in June 1997; he then became associate professor emeritus.
He continued practicing privately until 1999. He then moved to Buffalo with his wife Nancy, where his retirement was short-lived; instead, he taught at the University of Buffalo’s School of Dental Medicine until 2014. He is survived by Nancy and three children, Larry, Frani, and Katey, and grandchildren Alex and Daniel. And, his name is still on the door at the practice maintained by Drs. Holtzman and Hoffman.
Posted on: Friday, July 07, 2017