Where were you when…?

Where were you when you heard the shocking and sad news about Vince Kokich's unexpected and untimely passing? I think we can all recall where we were and what we were doing during key newsworthy events during our lives, many of which were tied to startling deaths of people who were vibrant contributors to society and to ourselves personally. For me, these events include watching men walk on the moon, seeing Nixon resign office on television, following the OJ Simpson car chase, being told that a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center and, although I was only just 1 day shy of 3 years old at the time, I swear I remember where I was when JFK was shot. I also remember precisely when I learned that Tiziano Baccetti had died in an accident in Prague; that information came during a stopover at an airport as a text message from a friend in Italy. Six months ago, receiving the news about Vince Kokich marked another of those moments that I will never forget.

On the morning of July 24, 2013, I was sitting in a classroom as an invited guest of the orthodontic department at Jacksonville University in Florida. Mark Alarbi, the department chair, and I were examining the orthodontic residents who were presenting cases as part of their final evaluation before graduation. We were about halfway through and close to breaking for lunch. Another faculty member came in and passed Mark a note, which he read quietly and then told me what it contained, but I didn't believe it could be true. We took a break and I called to check the disturbing news but, at that point, no one really could provide confirmation; it was all very alarming and disconcerting. Eventually we resumed the examination but part of my brain remained elsewhere for the rest of the day. We looked at study models and discussed cases presented by the residents, and we continued to use precisely the ABO guidelines that Vince himself had devised to evaluate clinical outcomes. It was a small demonstration of one of the many ways in which Vince had made such a huge impact on the orthodontic specialty and our way of thinking as educators and clinicians.

Over time, I realized that I was feeling exactly what many others expressed to me when we have since talked about Vince Kokich and our own individual experiences with him. His death was so unreal to me because I had just seen him and spoken with him at the AAO meeting in May, I had just been in contact with him by email. So many colleagues have since told me that they too had just spoken with him on the phone, exchanged ideas with him during a study club webinar, had an animated discussion with him at the European Society meeting… It is truly amazing that Vince could have had genuine one-on-one personal interactions with so many different people all in the last couple of months before his death – but he did. In Philadelphia I had watched him up at the podium and once again admired his enthusiasm and organization, this time while delivering a presentation on evidence-based decision-making in orthodontic practice. We met to discuss upcoming events we were planning together. He had ideas and opinions and was energetic and passionate as always.

For a few months after that day in July, I continued to hear Vince's voice talking to me in my car on my way to work. Many of you possibly had the same experience. He was presenting article reviews on the “Practical Reviews in Orthodontics” CD's. It was actually soothing to hear him continuing to deliver his interpretive thoughts even though I knew he wasn't really there. Vince could make any scientific topic relevant to clinical practice and he always had a way of tying the findings of a study directly back to a patient that you just saw in your office last week. There is no question that Vince had many gifts but his talent for presenting clinical scientific material in an understandable, meaningful, and organized fashion was in my opinion his greatest. For me, I was proud that he was assigned to review papers published in The Angle Orthodontist and I felt he always had a special place for the journal and its contents. He was a longtime member of the Angle Society and, even as he served as Editor of the AJODO, I always knew he was supportive of The Angle Orthodontist: he confirmed it every month on the Practical Reviews CD. Additionally, Vince was helpful to me as a new Editor. When I first was appointed, he invited me as a guest to attend the AJODO planning and awards session held during the AAO annual meeting so that I could pick up some tips and hints to make the journal better and easier to manage.

So, Vince, this is my chance to say “Thank You.” We all appreciate and respect your passion for and contributions to the specialty…and we remember.