Life has an interesting way of creating connections, crossing paths with all kinds of people in ways that may appear random or routine.
Back in 2001, we were looking for a regular dentist. Our family was living in Troy at the time and I started phoning dentists in the Yellow Pages. Every telephone call seemed to have the same conclusion: we aren’t taking new patients, or it will be six months before we have an opening, or other delayed responses.
I decided to call a dentist who simply had his name listed in the phone book, without any flashy ads. I’d discover he was working out of a nondescript office location I’d passed by thousands of times on my way to work and school: Dr. Robert Howard. His then-office manager, Janice, not only answered the phone but made an appointment for later that week!
From 2001 until now, our entire family has remained with Dr. Robert Howard and his dental practice in Troy, though we have lived in Tallassee nearly all of that time. My children don’t know another dentist. Every bit of dental work that has ever been done on us has happened at his office, from routine cleanings to crowns and fillings. We were not afraid of the dentist, because what other dentist could make visits so fun?
Dr. Robert Johnson Howard passed away last Wednesday night. He will be remembered not only for his dedication to dentistry but for his lighthearted approach to his life’s work. He became more than just a dentist for his patients; he became a part of their lives.
Dr. Howard attended Marion Military Institute and, by his own admission, he needed it! He credited that school with making a man out of him. He was the drum major of the band and considered a career as a band director – he was a fine musician and connoisseur of live music. He was a true audiophile. He would spend weeks building amazing sound systems, only to give them away when he met someone who appreciated music as much as he.
After the first couple of years, and as my family grew to eight people who needed dental visits, Dr. Howard and I began trading records and CD’s and my trips to his office always included time in the listening room. He would play whatever records caught his interest at the time; we occasionally attended the same concert performances and always had a lot to talk about. He was one of the most sincere music fans I have ever known and I learned a lot from him.
In 2010, Dr. Howard purchased 1 TB hard drive – they were really expensive back then – and loaded much of his music collection on it. I received the package in the mail and the instructions were simply for me to start listening. He had hand-selected his favorite music and shared it with me. I am still listening!
In recent years, I was among the recipients of his daily email digest. He would scour the internet for articles about music and musicians, and no worry if there were paywalls – he would download a PDF of the articles and send them that way, just to make sure we would read them.
All that may have little to do with teeth or the art of dentistry, but that lucky phone call in 2001 gave us a family friend for 25 years, and we cannot believe he’s gone.
So, for Dr. Howard, take the time and put that record on. Turn the radio up. Truly dig in and listen to the great music that’s out there. Thank you, Dr. Robert Howard, for being a friend to our family and to so many others. You will be missed!
Michael Bird is an assistant professor of music at Faulkner University.
