Norton Stanley Taichman, an emeritus professor of pathology and former chair of the department of pathology in Penn Dental Medicine, died on June 21. He was 89. 

Dr. Taichman earned his DDS from the University of Toronto, then pursued graduate dental studies in periodontology at Harvard University. Afterwards, he returned to the University of Toronto to earn a PhD in pathology. After raising a family in Toronto, Dr. Taichman and his wife, Louise, immigrated to the United States, where, in 1972, Dr. Taichman accepted a position as department chair of pathology at Penn Dental Medicine. During his tenure at Penn Dental Medicine, he also served as associate dean of academic affairs in the school. In 1977, he won Penn’s Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching (Almanac April 26, 1977). “His major research project, Pathogenesis of Inflammation in Periodontal Disease, is trying to find out what leukocytes do when they interact with oral bacteria,” noted his citation. “They’re both exhausting, both rewarding, teaching and research,” said Dr. Taichman. “I know the teaching would suffer without the research, but I can’t say what would happen the other way around because I never think about that. I do both. I enjoy both.” He was active in Dental School governance, serving on multiple committees during the 1980s to find new deans for the school, and chairing one such committee in 1987. 

Dr. Taichman was a dental scientist, an academic, an inspiring educator, and an esteemed mentor. He did pioneering work on identifying fundamental mechanisms of periodontal pathogenesis, and this work inspired generations of scholars with his ability to bring science to life. He received awards including a 1976 Lady Davis Fellowship to teach at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem as part of the Penn-Israel Exchange and a 1979 John E. Fogarty International Center fellowship. Outside of his teaching, he was also a dedicated genealogist, helping preserve the memories of life in the shtetl and publishing an e-newsletter on the subject for many years. Dr. Taichman retired from Penn in 2001 and took emeritus status. 

He is survived by his wife, Louise (née Sheffer) Taichman; his children, Russell Taichman (L. Susan), Susan Taichman-Robins; Darren Taichman (Lilach), and Audrey (Joseph); his grandchildren, Elya (Jennifer), Mira, Ariel, Rebecca, Gabrielle, Nathan, Josh and Jack; and his great-grandchild, Henry; his brother, Lorne; his sister-in-law, Ettie; his nieces, Marsha, Laura, Rebecca, Bonnie, and Sandy; his nephews, Steven and Barry; and a large extended family from across the globe.

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