Award-winning Raleigh pediatric dentist reflects on his career throughout the years

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- In honor of Jewish American Heritage month, ABC11's Barbara Gibbs sat down with Dr. Burton Horwitz, who has impacted more lives than he may know.

The Raleigh native said he knew what he wanted early in life.

"I was 8 years old... and I said I am going to be a dentist," Horwitz said.

He said he attended Broughton High School before moving on to UNC, where he graduated from dental school.

"As soon as I graduated, I went to the Air Force," Horwitz said.

When his brother played matchmaker, Horwitz said he knew what he wanted again after asking a woman named Michele to a party.

"For the next two weeks, we had five dates, and I proposed. That is a prescription for failure," he laughed. "This August we will be married 60 years."

Horwitz also built a work family in 1966, helping to start the dental part of Wake County's Head Start program.

"When I got into practice, I continued to do the Head Start program for the next 30 years," he said.

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For decades, in private practice, on his day off every Friday, Horwitz said he gave free dental care to children in need, expanding to the Frankie Lemmon School and the Tammy Lynn Center.

"I wasn't looking for thanks or praise. It was just what I did," he said.

In 2002, Horwitz joined other dentists in a state department dental mission and flew to Moldova, outside Ukraine, every year to care for children in need there as well.

"I love every minute of what I did. For my whole life," Horwitz said.

That includes his Jewish faith. Horwitz has been a leader for years at Beth Meyer Synagogue in Raleigh.

At 87 years old, his first year not practicing, Horwitz loves being at home in his "retreat," where he has a large hat collection, but he said he is not ready to stay home full time.

"No, I'm not satisfied, but I've developed a little tremor in my right hand, and I don't want to make an error," he said.

Horwitz was awarded North Carolina's highest honor for his service, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

"Surprised... I was shocked!" he said. "Whatever I did wasn't a sacrifice. It was a privilege, and that's just the way I've lived by it."

Dr. Horwitz has been on the faculty at UNC's dental school since the 1960s and said he will continue to work there and continue his global outreach.

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