Dr. Thomas Cleary Sr. Named Volunteer Hero by Mass. Dental Society

EASTHAMPTON — Dr. Thomas Cleary Sr. was recently recognized as a William McKenna Volunteer Hero by the Mass. Dental Society (MDS), a statewide organization serving nearly 5,000 member dentists. He was acknowledged by his peers for substantial contributions to organized dentistry at both the state and local district levels.

Cleary is currently a member of the MDS Council on Dental Care and Benefits, and has served as a volunteer coordinator for the Yankee Dental Congress, New England’s largest dental meeting. Within the Valley District Dental Society, he has been chair of Dental Connections, an educational program for dental auxiliaries; co-chair of the education committee; and a member of the executive committee. He is also past president of the Hampshire Dental Society.

Cleary is a graduate of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM). In addition to maintaining a dental practice in Easthampton, he is an assistant professor of operative and prosthetic dentistry at TUSDM. Several years ago, he was a member of a group of TUSDM faculty who went on a fact-finding trip to Cuba, and this summer he took part in a service mission to the Dominican Republic organized by students. He established his general dentistry practice in Easthampton in 1974. His son, Dr. Thomas M. Cleary Jr., joined him in 2008.

The Volunteer Hero award is given in memory of the late Dr. William McKenna, who was a driving force behind the development of the Yankee Dental Congress and considered by many to have been a model of volunteerism within the MDS.