OBITUARY: Dr. Raymond S. Murakami

Dr. Raymond S. Murakami

MURAKAMI, Dr. RAYMOND S., 90, Bethesda, MD, a prominent Washington, D.C. dentist, passed away on January 24, 2018.

During his nearly 50 years in dental practice, he served members of Congress, cabinet secretaries, members of the diplomatic community, Hollywood movie stars, and the Japanese American population.

He was a member of the ADA, D.C. Dental Society, Federation Dentaire International, and Academy of General Dentistry. He was elected to the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Society (PiPi Chapter) for honorary dental academic achievement. He was a recipient of the First Student Clinician Award and later became President and a member of the Board of Governors. He was an American College of Dentists Fellow; a member of the official delegation of the ADA to represent the United States at the first Federation Dentaire Internationale (FDI) held in Japan; and a dental consultant at the U.S. Department of State. He was a past president of the Maimonides Dental Association.

Dr. Murakami was born in San Martin, California on May 6, 1927, and during World War II was incarcerated in an internment camp in Tule Lake, California where he attended high school. He earned his AA from the U.C. Berkeley, BA from UCLA, and his DDS at the College of Dentistry, Howard University, Washington, D.C. He volunteered for the U.S. Army and was awarded the WWII Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, and Congressional Gold Medal.

He was a Life Member and past President of the Japanese American Citizens League (DC Chapter); life member of the Japanese American Veterans Association; and member of the board of the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation. In recognition of his contributions to the Japanese American community he received the Order of the Rising Sun from the Government of Japan.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Mary Tamaki Murakami; daughters Diane Murakami and Kimi Murakami and her husband Kenley Hoover; and grandchildren, Christopher and Michelle Drake, and Anna and Carolyn Hoover.

A private interment will be held at a later date. Donations in Dr. Murakami’s memory may be made to National Japanese Memorial Foundation, 4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW, #106-236, WDC 20016 or to Howard University Dental School at www.howard.edu/give.