A. Norman Cranin of Hewlett Bay Park, dies at 83

He followed his father into the dental profession, however Hewlett Bay Park’s A. Norman Cranin blazed his own trail as a pioneer in the development of new techniques and biomaterials use in the field of oral implantology.

Dr. Cranin, who was born in Brooklyn on June 17, 1927, died while vacationing on Grand Cayman Island on Feb. 20. He was 83.

He shard the Brooklyn dental practice with his father, but continually expanded his work as Dr. Cranin founded the Dr. Samuel Cranin Dental Center at the Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn, named in honor of his father and chaired the dental/oral surgery program and served as implantologist-in-chief for 37 years.

In 1969, Dr. Cranin established the American Board of Oral Implantology and was a member and/or fellow of 28 professional organizations and 38 committees, along with being editor-in-chief of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry’s Journal of Oral Implantology.

His visionary work led him to holding clinical dentistry professorships at several universities, including the University of Lille (France) and University of Pennsylvania.

He created and led a series of intensive course in oral implantology that educated more than 1,000 dentists in emerging techniques and procedures, and lectured worldwide.

Dr. Cranin also directed a volunteer effort that provided dental services to Nigerians in need and authored the Atlas of Oral Implantology (Mosby 1993, 1999 and 2009). He was a graduate of Swarthmore College (Class of 1947) and the New York University College of Dentistry (1951), and held the degrees of D.D.S., D.Eng. and F.A.D.S.A. (Fellow in the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology).

In addition to his professional work, Dr. Cranin and wife Marilyn Sunners Cranin jointly endowed the public courtyard at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library and a similar facility at the Waldorf School in Garden City. They were also longtime benefactors of the Five Towns Senior Center and contributed to several other civic and charitable organizations.

His passions included skiing, sailing and playing tennis, along with being a lifelong dog owner. He also loved dancing with his wife of 57 years and deep-sea fishing with his children — two activities in which his competency was dwarfed by his unbridled passion, his family said.

He is survived by his wife, son Jonathan, wife Ilene and their children Olivia and Joshua; son Andrew, wife Bonnie and their children Jesse and Sophie; daughter Elizabeth Cooperstein, husband Jeffrey and their children Rebecca and Emily.

Dr. Cranin can be remembered through gifts to the A. Norman Cranin Memorial Fund at the Waldorf School of Garden City, which can be made online at www.gifttrakker.com/waldorfgarden (under “Area to Benefit,” please include “A. Norman Cranin Memorial Fund”) or mail to The Waldorf School of Garden City; Attention: Office of Development, 225 Cambridge Ave., Garden City, NY 11530. A memorial service will be held at a future date.