Dr. Leonard Burton Shulman

Leonard Burton Shulman, age 86, passed away on May 16, 2020 from advanced Parkinson’s Disease. Born in 1934 in Boston to loving parents Mildred and Joseph “Ted” Shulman, he was a compassionate and gentle man who adored being with family and friends and was quick to laugh. He was a music man at heart, a poet, loved the stage, and worked his way through school playing piano at notable venues. A passionate lover of the arts and fine dining, he regularly attended symphony, art museums and theatre and was a life-long learner and intellectual. He loved golf, tennis, the beaches of Truro and all the Boston professional sports teams.

Len was the cherished husband of Joan (Sorkin) for nearly 40 years; beloved father of Adam and Jonathan; dearly loved stepfather of Jeffrey, Daniel and Thomas Dretler. Proud grandfather of Max and Rose Shulman-Litwin; Gabriel Shulman; Katie, Halle, Jack, Ryan, Sydni, Jessi, Jacob and Benjamin Dretler. Loving father-in-law to Mark Litwin; Asia Shulman; Janie, Astrid and Corrie Dretler. Adored big brother of the late Glenda Shulman.

The family is sincerely grateful to Gabriel Kiddu who enriched his daily life in recent years.

Leonard graduated from Boston Latin School and Harvard College cum laude, earned his Medical Doctorate in Dentistry (DMD) from Harvard School of Dental Medicine, was inducted into the national dental honor society, and was the proud composer and conductor of two dental school shows. After oral surgery residency at Massachusetts General Hospital he moved to Georgetown University to complete a Masters in Oral Surgery. He joined the faculty of Harvard School of Dental Medicine, serving almost 40 years as an academic triple threat: innovative researcher, respected teacher, and master clinician. He served on medical staffs at more than a dozen hospitals and was Chief of Oral Surgery at several. An accomplished scientist focused on human dental allograft, his work in dental implants was foundational. Awarded a prestigious NIH R-01 grant to study immunology of dental implants in his first year on faculty at Harvard, he was continuously NIH-funded for over 30 years. A prolific scholar, he published more than 80 scientific manuscripts, book chapters, reviews, and abstracts. He founded the Harvard Tooth Implant and Transplant Research Unit, was peer reviewer for numerous scientific journals, and served leadership roles in the major dental societies. His work was featured in Time Magazine and other popular press. He lectured throughout the world as visiting professor and keynote speaker. Dr. Shulman was the paragon of a translational scientist and will always be associated with the evidence-based establishment of dental implants in oral surgery practice, helping millions worldwide.

Graveside services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Len's memory may be made to Jewish Family & Children’s Service https://www.jfcsboston.org/Give/Donate-Online with Parkinson’s in the designation (tel 781-647-5327) or to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Office of Development, 330 Brookline Ave (OV), Boston, MA 02215 designate Parkinson’s Disease Wellness Works, https://www.bidmc.org/giving