By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

(Journal Group Link International)

A Good Friend of Filipinos Dies: Dr. Claude P. Carpenter, 82, Donated Dental Equipment to the Philippines

C HICAGO (JGLi) – An American dentist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who donated dental equipment to a clinic in the Philippines after conducting dental missions there and in Haiti, died last June 14 at the age of 82. He was the husband of Filipino-American educator, Dr. Marietta Advincula.

Dr. Claude Philippe Carpenter was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2005 and had been a resident of Golden Living-Bradley in Milwaukee during the past year and a half. He was buried with full military honors at Mary Hill Cemetery in Chicago’s suburban Niles, Illinois, last Friday, June 18.

Several friends from Chicago area also joined the family at Dr. Carpenter’s burial at Mary Hill. The mourners included Rev. Donald Headley, the family’s pastor and friend from Our Lady of Mercy at Northwest Chicago. He officiated the burial rite.

Known to many as “Claude,” Dr. Carpenter was famous for his warm smile, engaging French accent, passion for social justice and empathy for people in need.

While his patients held their mouths open for examination/dental work, they got an earful of his comments and questions on topics ranging from human rights issues and Roman Catholic Church matters to the politics and practicalities of helping Milwaukee’s poor, impoverished Haitians and more recently the Filipinos in rural areas.

Dr. Claude had been involved with several city parishes and programs over the years raising awareness of the needs of the poor either through his Haitian missionary work or his St. Vincent de Paul works of mercy.

Claude came to Milwaukee in 1948 after his discharge from the US Army to study dentistry at Marquette University in Milwaukee.  He practiced dentistry from 1954 until he retired in 2001 in the city of Wauwatosa.

He had quietly collected used computer equipment, sewing machines, dental equipment, medicines, clothing, shoes, toys, paper, notebooks, pencils, etc., from patients, friends, churches, and businesses for Haiti.

He had helped set up a dental office both in Haiti and the Philippines (in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan, through the Rizal MacArthur Medical Mission) as well as helped recruit dental professionals to continue his work upon retirement.

W hen he closed his office in 2001, he donated most of his dental equipment, fixtures, and furniture to the dental clinic in Urbiztondo.  He also did volunteer dental work in Iloilo and Boracay. Claude’s humanitarian outreach was rooted in lessons he learned as a youth in Paris during the turmoil of World War II. He was a member of the Catholic Youth Movement who prayed and supported him and gave him the sense of Christ as a brother when the Germans placed his Dad in a concentration camp.

Claude was the son of Guy and Yvonne Carpenter of Vincennes, France. He was happily married for 17 years to his wife and was the loving father of Karin, Chris (Janet), Roberta, Paul (Kimberly) and Peter (Donna). He was the loving step-father to Monica (Brad) Nagel, Ronna (Rick) Fernandez, and Melanie (Dr. Patrick) Fitzgerald. Also survived by 18 loving grandchildren, his sister, Monique Emily of St George, France, sister-in-law, Monique Carpenter of Toulouse, France, and nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his two brothers, Gerald and Jacques Vincent and brother-in-law, Dr. Marc Emily. Claude grew up in France, served in WWII in 1945 then relocated to Milwaukee to attend Dental School at Marquette University (1954).

Claude's early life was impacted by the kindness of another (Goething Miller) and he continued to pay that gesture forward throughout the rest of his life. He gave to others including sponsoring Chinese and Vietnamese families through the outreach program at St. Pius Congregation, most notably the Lee (Ly) family; To (Szu), Hai (Edna), Long, Ngyuyen (Mabel), Lien (Scott), Son, Lan, Toan, Phung (Bao) and grandchildren.

Claude was one of the recipients of the 1989 WISN 12 Who Care Volunteers of the Year. In 1996, the Greater Milwaukee Dental Association presented him the Service to Dentistry Award. In 1997, the St. Vincent de Paul Milwaukee Council presented the Ozanam Medallion Award to Claude for his many years of unwavering and unselfish services to the poor. # # #

Editor’s Notes: To contact the author, please e-mail him at:  (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)