In Memoriam

Joan Voris, UBC Dental Hygiene Diploma Director (1971 to 1986), passed away on Sunday, May 21.

Joan received her Bachelor of Dental Hygiene from the University of Washington in 1959, where she studied under Ester Wilkins, known as the “matriarch of dental hygiene.” She then returned to Vancouver and became the second UBC Dental Hygiene Program Director until the Diploma program ended in 1986.

Joan was deeply passionate about dental hygiene and primarily taught scaling and root planning, better known today as debridement. She taught many continuing education courses on advancing scaling and root planning skills.

Joan is survived by her two children, Victor and Valerie. Her husband, Don, predeceased her by two years. She was honoured by the BC Dental Hygienist Association (BCDHA) with a lifetime membership. Each year, the Joan Voris Award is presented to a BCDHA member who has completed a Bachelor of Dental Science in Dental Hygiene at UBC. Joan’s memory will forever live on through this award.