David Locker

Professor David Locker, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Dentistry in the University of Toronto, died on 22 April 2010 after a short illness, leaving an academic legacy the like of which only very few can hope to achieve. Born in Derbyshire in 1949, David graduated from the University of Sheffield with BDS Honours in 1971 followed by diplomas in Health Services Administration, Sociology and then a PhD in Sociology.

Many prizes and honours followed, including the IADR Distinguished Scientist Award for Behavioural Sciences and Health Services research in 1998 and the AADR William J. Gies Award for the best paper published in the Journal of Dental Research in 1999.

David joined the Faculty of Dentistry in the University of Toronto in the Department of Community Dentistry as an Associate Professor in 1985 and full Professor in 1990. In 1991 he won funding from the Ontario provincial government to found the well-known and paradigm-shifting Community Dental Health Research Unit.

Sitting on four editorial boards and attracting phenomenal amounts of research funding for his inspired, and inspiring, work, he published five books, 19 book chapters and 250 papers in academic journals, being globally regarded as a thought-provoking and exciting speaker. David's charisma, charm and humour made him deeply loved by many and his wit could reduce an entire gathering to tears of laughter. His merry spirit and huge capacity for nonsense, fun and laughter created a rollercoaster ride of new experiences for his friends and work colleagues. Travel and socialising were the stuff of life for David and many found their lives transformed by his passionate commitment to open-minded thought and philosophical fairness.

Despite this, David was a very humble, and quite shy individual but also very loving and extraordinarily generous; always willing to give his time, experience, intellect and gifts. He was also, it may surprise many, an amazingly talented dancer, even to the point of performing with a contemporary dance group in Canada. David leaves behind him his brother and his family, his great friends and a host of colleagues who adored him.