About Dr.
C. Ross Crapo
I was born and raised in a
small farming community in Southern Alberta about 100 miles east of
Calgary. My Mother was raised on a farm, while Dad had
exposure to farming and the transportation industry as a young
man. At age 20 he and his brother-in-law formed a small
trucking business that served farmers, merchants, car dealerships
and the Calgary Herald.
As a child,
manual labour was as much a part of my life as school. My
Mother believed that idleness was the “devil’s workshop”. I
was the oldest of five children so I was expected to pitch in and
help with everything from gardening to babysitting. She would
emphasize that we could achieve any goal if we disciplined
ourselves and worked hard. Her own work ethic swept us
along. One of her often uttered phrases was “Thank goodness
for work”. To this day her capacity for physical labour and
stick-to-it-iveness is remarkable.
As a child and
youth I enjoyed music and athletics. As a teenager athletics
became more dominant as our school was very small and opportunities
were readily available. In fall it was football then
basketball and hockey. Springtime saw me involved in
badminton, fastball and track and field on interschool, regional
and at times provincial levels.
A memory from
my childhood may have been stronger than I thought at the time as
it related to my future choice of profession. In elementary
school one experiences bumps and bangs and bruises. On more
than one occasion I saw classmates and others take a blow to the
face which resulted in chipped front teeth. After a visit to
the dentist they would return with a silver (stainless steel) cap
over the traumatized front tooth. I couldn’t believe they
would have to go around with a “Jaws-like” like look for any
appreciable time. Often these stainless steel caps were in
place for over ten years. The explanation was that the needed
porcelain crown could not be done until they were adults.
Bonding was not an option until the early 70’s and even then the
white materials were in a less than desirable state of
development.
Another
experience that pointed me toward the health professions occurred
when I was about twelve years old. I had returned home after
school one day and began sharing with my Mother what I had learned
in a health anatomy class. We had been tested and I had
received a high mark. After a few minutes she said, “So you
are going to be our Doctor”. It stuck - in my mind I would be
a medical Doctor. Later, as a young adult the choice of
Dentistry over Medicine happened by an act of inspiration. In
a quiet moment while contemplating church, family and state a
strong impression redefined by direction. It was strong and
sustained me for the next eight years of education and
training.
I received my
Bachelor’s Degree in microbiology and chemistry from BrighamYoung
University in 1976 and in that same year I was accepted and
enrolled at the University of Alberta’s School of Dentistry.
I graduated in 1980 finishing #1 in Operative Dentistry and 7th
overall in a class of fifty students. Though dental school
was challenging I loved it – I was finally doing what I really
wanted to do.
In 1977 I had
joined the Canadian Military as a way to pay expenses through
dental school. It proved an excellent move. My military
experience got me out to see and experience parts of Canada unknown
to me. Though I had to do basic training in the summer of
1978 I left camp in very good shape with an appreciation for the
beauties of the rivers and forests of beautiful British
Columbia.
In 1980 at the
time of graduation I decided with my wife’s eager encouragement to
ask for a posting to Victoria. I was told there were no
openings and not to get my hopes up; so in response I said post me
last of all the class to which they agreed. Providence must
have been smiling because at the last moment one of the dental
officers in Victoria retired leaving an opening for me.
We arrived in
Victoria in June 1980 not knowing what lay ahead. In
retrospect it has all been good. Though we had been married
in 1974 it wasn’t until 1983 that our first son Joseph arrived,
followed in 1985 by David our second son and finally in 1988 Robert
completed the threesome.
Life has always
been busy balancing family, church and business but very
rewarding. Victoria has proven a great place for raising a
family. We will be forever grateful for the outstanding
career educators at Glenlyon Norfolk Junior Boys School and St.
Michael’s University School middle and senior school.
This past year
Robert left for university leaving us empty-nesters. With the
boys off “seeking their way” we find ourselves adjusting, grateful
for associations that have turned into friendships over years of
involvement in education, sports and music.
| 
