Richard S. Tobey, Jr., D’75, former director of clinical studies and assistant professor of restorative dentistry, at Penn’s School of Dental Medicine, died August 26, 2022. He was 76.

After graduating with honors from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1975, Dr. Tobey was selected to study in that institution’s highly selective post-doctoral graduate program. This experience gave Dr. Tobey three more years of education than the average dentist and the opportunity to receive advanced training in prosthodontics and periodontics. Because this additional training gave Dr. Tobey the ability to treat a broad range of general and cosmetic dental cases, including challenging cases that other dentists might have to refer out, he liked to think of himself as a “supergeneralist.”

Dr. Tobey taught at the University of Pennsylvania for over 15 years. He was renowned in his field, lecturing in the United States and abroad on all aspects of advanced dentistry, including cosmetic dentistry, occlusion (misalignment), periodontology (treatment of the gums), implantology, and complete oral rehabilitation. Beginning in 1979, Dr. Tobey was also in private practice as an orthodontist and cosmetic dentist in the Philadelphia and Cherry Hill area.

In 1981, Dr. Tobey won the Dental School’s Earl Banks Hoyt Award for excellence in teaching. Dr. Tobey was a member of more than a dozen dental associations and held offices in many of them. He was also an award-winning sculptor. He worked mainly from the human form, producing wonderful pieces of art in clay, metal, and stone.

A celebration of life service was held on September 18, 2022.