Obituary of Ralph L. Lambert

Dr. Ralph Lambert passed away on March 12, 2022, at the age of 91. Ralph was born in Portland, Oregon, July 4, 1930. During his sophomore year in high school, Ralph had a bad experience in a dental office, and it then occurred to him that the combination of mechanical skills and medical knowledge required for a career in dentistry would fit well with his interests and talents, and in addition he was sure he could provide his patients with better treatment than he had received. Following high school he served two years during the Korean war in the Medical Corp, U.S. Army. He then returned to Oregon to attend University of Oregon School of Dentistry receiving his D.M.D. in 1958. Upon graduation, Dr. Lambert entered the U.S. Air Force and served until retirement in 1977 at the rank of Colonel, during which he was twice awarded the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal and two Air Force Commendation Medals plus numerous lesser medals and awards. During this time, he received a master's degree in Biomedical Science from the University of Texas (1970) and was selected to join the teaching faculty at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas. His career included three assignments in Texas (9 yrs.), three years in England, three years in California, one year in Thailand, and three years in Washington State. Following his military career Dr. Lambert joined the faculty of the University of Colorado School of Dentistry. Always remembering his poor experience as a dental patient, Dr. Lambert diligently reminded his students to treat their patients with respect and gentleness. During his tenure at the University of Colorado he rose to the rank of Professor of Restorative Dentistry, retiring a second time in 2002. He is an honorary alumnus of the University of Colorado. Throughout his professional career Dr. Lambert was a founding member of the Academy of Operative Dentistry and the American Board of Operative Dentistry, Chairman of the Colorado Section of the American College of Dentists and President of the American Academy of Gold Foil Operators. He has authored over 40 professional publications and has received numerous awards for his leadership as a nationally recognized teacher of Operative Dentistry. The awards he considered his most cherished were the eight times he was selected by his students as the Outstanding Clinical Instructor of the year. Dr. Lambert is survived by his wife of 66 years, Georgia E Lambert, five children, eight grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Graveside services are to be held at Fort Logan (4400 W Kenyon Ave, Denver, CO) at 10:30 am on Wednesday, March 30th, followed by a Memorial and Reception at Boulder Valley Christian Church (7100 S Boulder Rd, Boulder, CO) starting at 2:00 pm. The family is requesting donations on behalf of Ralph to SmileTrain at https://donate.smiletrain.org, an organization that was dear to Ralph, devoted to lifesaving care for children born with cleft palates.