Dental Hygiene Community Celebrates The Life of an Icon
On April 25, family, friends, and members of the Old Dominion University (ODU) community gathered at the ODU University Theatre in Norfolk, Virginia, to celebrate the life and legacy of Michele Leonardi Darby, BSDH, MS.
On April 25, family, friends, and members of the Old Dominion University (ODU) community gathered at the ODU University Theatre in Norfolk, Virginia, to celebrate the life and legacy of Michele Leonardi Darby, BSDH, MS. A prolific dental hygiene researcher, educator, and author, Darby passed away February 5 after a long illness.
With ODU Professor Susan Lynn Tolle, BSDH, MS, serving as master of ceremonies, the poignant event featured ODU administrators and Darby’s colleagues, former students, and family sharing remembrances about her remarkable accomplishments, both personally and professionally. A touching musical performance of Edward Elgar’s Salut d’Amour was performed by her son Blake Darby, PhD, on the violin and Katie O’Hara on piano. Also in attendance was Dimensions of Dental Hygiene Executive Editor Kristen Pratt Machado, who presented a $1,000 check to the Michele Leonardi Darby Global Oral Health Award on behalf of the journal. The fund was started by Darby and her husband Dennis Darby, PhD, with a $25,000 leadership contribution to further her work in helping dental hygienists and dental hygiene faculty become more competent in cross-cultural environments.
From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. May 2015;13(5):14–15.
