William Dean Gaither's Obituary
Our dad, William D Gaither (“Just Bill,” Dad, Grandpa, Gpa, Sugar) died October 14, 2023 after a brief diagnosis with pancreatic cancer. He was a strong, funny, independent man who was raised in a refinery town in the Texas panhandle. He worked hard from the age of 11 (he was proud of doing every job in the grocery store, including butcher- please don’t tell his patients), put himself through college at Texas Tech (was the first in his family to graduate from college), and married his Phillips High School sweetheart, Sharlene, after college graduation. They had a car and a sewing machine between them (mom joked her sewing machine was not community property) and they moved to Dallas for dad to attend Baylor College of Dentistry. He was in the Navy ROTC and served 2 years active duty at Treasure Island in California before returning to complete an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency at Baylor. He was one of the program’s earliest graduates and continued to teach and mentor future oral surgeons at Baylor for many years after starting his private practice in 1967. His practice grew with the city of Richardson as he extracted countless wisdom teeth of Richardson’s teenagers.
He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, an active Baylor (BOMSA) alum, and a 20-year Navy reservist (retired Captain). Many of his fellow alums remained his lifelong friends. They hunted, fished, hiked, rafted, and skied on annual fellowship trips (so many hilarious memories) and traveled with their wives and families to fabulous locations. He was an animated storyteller with each story triggering another.
At 57, he retired from oral surgery and took up his next career as a farmer and devoted grandfather. He loved riding his tractors, bailing his own hay, taking family and friends on hayrides, and raising cows in NW Arkansas. The farm was his happy place, lake house, golf course all in one for many years. He eventually stopped active farming and developed the family farm for residential and commercial use. He was proudly and unapologetically anti-technology and was able to accomplish it all with a handshake, fax, and courier service. He and mom continued their tradition of family ski trips with their adult children and grandchildren; they loved spending time with family on birthdays, holidays, grandkid school events, and having their grandchildren by themselves in the summer for a little “Camp Dallas.”
Dad believed in family, education, loyalty to friends, and financial literacy. He and mom actively supported their children and grandchildren in college and graduate school. He gifted scores of copies of the Millionaire Next Door to spread the wisdom of paying yourself first. He was bereft after his wife of 64 years died in 2021. We are happy that he is at peace with our mom as he’s wished these past 28 months.
Bill is survived by his children: Karla Iacampo, Karen Gaither, Michael Gaither, his grandchildren Andrea Iacampo (Sami), Christina Melcher (Bryan), Michelle Iacampo, and his great granddaughter Bernadette Melcher. He is also survived by his sisters Barbara Hampton and Judy Hubartt, his sister-in-law Doris Morland, and many nieces and nephews.
Our family would like to express our profound gratitude to Viney Kutagula, MD at Baylor Scott and White for his compassionate guidance and palliative support of us and our dad and also thank the incredible, kind and caring nurses at Vitas Inpatient Hospice Unit in Carrollton for their exceptional care for dad during his final days.
Dad preferred a simple, quick family burial in the clothes he passed away in; we could provide the former but as to the latter, we preferred to send him to meet our mom in a suit rather than his backless hospital gown. We think he’d see the humor and maybe wisdom in that. He leaves us with a smile and a ton of funny stories his friends have reminded us of these past few days. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Vitas Hospice at vitascommunityconnection.org or the philanthropy of your choice.
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