Joe F. Warriner, DDS

Had the writing of this been left to Joe Warriner, it would consist of three facts: “I was born, July 7, 1931, lived a great life for 84 years and died from complications of cancer on January 2, 2016.”.....period.

However humble and concise his summation would have been, the joyful task of remembering and reporting the facts of his life has fallen to many others whose stories and experiences add volumes to what would be an abridged version of a life lived in beauty.

Joe joyfully lived his life with informed focused passion, fueled by amazing undying curiosity, and a wry, wicked sense of humor. This humor and zest for living was the gift Joe gave all of us who knew and loved him. His passion was gentle yet ferocious, up to the afternoon of January 2, 2016; when after many months struggling with cancer, he lost his battle and began a new journey. The vortex of his impassioned and wildly varied interests will surround and inspire us forever.

Joe was born in Iowa City, Iowa on July 7, 1931 while his parents were in a summer graduate program at the University of Iowa. Joe grew up in Okmulgee, OK and graduated from Okmulgee High School in 1949 with an outstanding group of individuals who remain connected even today. When Joe was 16 years old, the family dentist recommended that all of his teeth be removed. This was not an option for his parents. That summer he was sent to St. Louis, MO to live with his Aunt Teddy and Uncle Waldo Ehlers, a dentist who would spend the summer restoring Joe’s mouth with gold crowns. This experience forged the direction of his life’s journey and gave profound meaning to the man he was to become. Joe enrolled in Washington University, St. Louis, MO for undergraduate work and later transferred to St. Louis University where he received his doctorate degree in general dentistry in1955. He was also awarded the high distinction of being elected an Alumni Member of the Eta Eta Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society.

After graduating he entered the United States Air Force as a Captain in the Medical Unit, and in 1958 after his service ended, he returned to the St. Louis area to open a practice in St. Clair, MO. In 1960 Joe moved to Oklahoma City where he joined a dental practice on 23rd Street with Drs Rookstool and Thompson, which aligned perfectly with his aspiration of restorative dentistry. To honor and share his father’s passion for Masonic brotherhood he joined and was installed at the Siloam Masonic Lodge, during which he became a perpetual member and served for over 50 years. Joe rose to become the Grand Commander of the Knights Templar of Oklahoma in 1986 and the Sovereign of Prince of Peace Conclave for the Red Cross of Constantine in 1997.

Dentistry introduced him to the other great love of his life when an independent, free-spirited woman walked into his office for an appointment. He married Laura Bunch in 1967, and the pair spent their lives together cultivating a shared aesthetic through travel and development of spirit. To Joe, dentistry was an art form first and a science second. His creative drive to continue perfecting the possibilities of good health for his patients was paramount in every procedure he undertook in the chair and laboratory. To accomplish his goals he searched out experts in the field of restorative dentistry and joined study clubs in California, New York, Alabama and Texas. He was a member of the Alabama Implant Study Group, helping lead the direction of Implantology in the 1960s and 70s. Joe’s strong problem solving along with his compassion for his patients led him to conceive and develop dental instruments and devices that are still found in dentists’ offices today. As a leader in Implantology, Gnathology and laboratory techniques, Joe was invited to lecture all over the world, and was published in several journals throughout the years. Joe was a Member of the American Dental Association, received a Fellow and Diplomate status in the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. He held leadership positions In the Oklahoma County Dental Association, Oklahoma Dental Association and Oklahoma Dental Foundation.

In 1980, Joe moved his office to NW 63rd Street and with the help of Glenda Rowland, Rosella McDonald, Rhonda & Paul Barnett, an unconventional partnership and work environment emerged that would last 30 plus years.

In the late 1980s Joe retreated from lectures, teaching and travels to spend time near his ailing parents and focused on his first love, his clinical practice. In 1992, friend Dr. Bill Brewer asked Joe to join him on a medical mission to Guatemala, thus beginning another life altering pilgrimage encompassing 26 missions to Central America and Mexico. Joe’s compassion at home was demonstrated by volunteering every Friday with two friends Bob Barr and fellow dentist Dr. Hugh Burch at REST, a homeless shelter in downtown Oklahoma City which insured this community had dental care.

His enthusiasm and aesthetic guided him through life and helped provide a wonderful environment for his patients to enjoy while seeking treatment. He loved art - especially ceramics, antiques and collaborating with his wife Laura. They have spent most of their years together improving the world around them, their largest endeavor being the renovation of a abandoned dilapidated warehouse in the Deep Deuce District in downtown Oklahoma City that is now a contemporary art center named [Artspace] at UNTITLED.

Joe was preceded in death by his father Clell C. Warriner; mother Emily Warriner of Okmulgee OK; brother Dr. Clell C. Warriner Jr. of Panama City FL, and brother Dr. Jack C. Warriner of Tulsa OK.

Joe is survived by his wife Laura; office family Glenda, Rosella, Aiden & Aaron McDonald, Paul & Rhonda; and numerous family, friends, colleagues and patients who will miss him. If you were fortunate enough to know him and be a recipient of that wicked smile, or possibly his sarcastic jabs when you were not following his instructions, then you have truly celebrated one of the best joys on the planet.

Joe, you blessed each and every one of us!

Memorial Services will be held on January 22, 2016, 4pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 4400 N. Shartel Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73118. A reception will follow in the Payne Garden Court. In Lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the arts organization of your choice or the Barr Foundation, who supports the disadvantaged 5816 Rosebay Ct., Oklahoma City, OK 73142.