Paulos – Dino Sam was taken from us unexpectedly on April 24, 2012, in Victoria, BC. He was born a Spartan December 2, 1945, in Molai, Greece.
Dino immigrated to Canada with his parents at the age of 14 and settled in Winnipeg, where he attended high school and university. Dino received his first degree in biology from the University of Manitoba and subsequently graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry in 1974. After practicing in Winnipeg for a short time, he moved to Victoria and established his practice in Sidney in 1977. Dino practiced dentistry in Victoria for the rest of his days, evolving into one of the world’s foremost authorities in the area of biological dentistry. He was very passionate about his work and helped countless people from all over the world restore their health and well-being. Dino did everything in life with extreme enthusiasm and vigor, whether it was cooking in his wood burning oven or scavenging driftwood on a remote beach. Driftwood came to life in his hands and imagination. A hobby that started with a small mirror blossomed into life-sized works of mythological creatures.
Dino was a dedicated and loving husband, father, and friend, and is so loved by so many. Dino walked amongst us. His presence will be missed yet the love and joy he brought will live on forever in us all.
A celebration of his life will be held on Monday, April 30th at 11:00 am at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Savior, 4648 Elk Lake Drive in Victoria with reception to follow.
Condolences for the family may be offered below.
44 Responses
Dear Dejais & Sam,
Our deepest sympathy goes to you both during this difficult time. Dino was a wonderful doctor that made one feel as if you had known him for a long time. This feeling was rooted in his respect for the patient, and his amazing desire to help and change lives for the better – it truly came from his heart. He did so much for our family – from being part of opening a door of significant change for our son to giving our daughter a smile that she didn’t have to cover up with her hand. He also recognized that moms too need support as their role is huge in a family’s success in health – and took action. For all of this we will be forever grateful and will never forget Dino.
Love to you both — Mavis
I was one of the very lucky people to have known Dino Paolos and experienced his creative genius firsthand as a master dentist. He brought his caring, passion, artistry, and expertise to his work every day. On my last visit to see him, I was indeed fortunate to be given a private tour by Dino of his incredible carvings. These stand as a legacy to his genius and his love for family, for whom he said he dedicated this legacy.
My sincere condolences to his family, staff, patients, and friends.
Sandra
I have so many fond memories growing up with Dino. His great smile, it matched his attitude, personality and direction in life. No surprise that he touched so many lives in such a positive way. Bless you Dino – you are missed.
Cousin John.
Dino will be greatly missed by all who knew him. I first met him 20 years ago and with his skill and help I began to recover my health. I’ll never forget his cheer and kindness and dedication to helping those of us who sought him out.
My sincere condolences to his family.
Dear Dejay and Sam
The whole Gammell Family want you to know that our hearts and thoughts are with in this time of deep sorry and sadness. Dino was a dear friend of ours. With love and fond memories
Ruth and Ward
Dear Dejay and Sam, we wish both of you and the rest of the family peace and love. I cannot express enough the gratitude and respect for our dearest friend and colleague. He was a true Spartan in spirit and courage. He really changed the world of health care with his innovations and cutting edge thinking. What a visionary!!! His friendship and his unconditional love of patients, family and friends will always be cherished.
With all our love,
Gus & Beverly
Dino has been a dear friend of the family since Sam was a toddler. He enriched all of our lives with his wonderful sense of humour, his generous spirit, and his wisdom. He always arrived or greeted us with a huge grin, an embracing hug, great “catching-up” questions, and delicious Greek delicacies. Dino seemed to excel at everything he put his mind or his hand to from professional endeavours to artistic creations. We were so fortunate to have him in our lives and we will miss him more than words can convey. Our hearts go out to all of his family and especially to you, Dejais and Sam. Dino truly was one of the great ones!
My heart goes out to you Dejay and Sam. I am so sad for your loss. And I am so sad for all of our loss. My deepest respect and gratitude to Dr. Paulos. His genius, his courageous vision and his compassionate care changed my life. Everytime I was fortunate enough to see him was a great blessing and healing for me. He persevered with me for years to help me through my difficulties and keep giving me more hope with every new and unexpected step forward. I will always be grateful for his truly angelic presence, his kindness, his pioneering spirit, and his profound work that he has so generously and wholeheartedly shared with us. His enduring presence is still and will always be a great comfort to me.
With love,
Joline
Our family was one of Dino’s first patients in 1978 in Sidney. Our daughter babysat after Sammy was born.
Dino touched us so greatly that, even after all these years I had to say that we still remember him fondly.
Condolences to the family, and may Dino rest in peace.
The Hacker family..Don, Eleanor, Debra, Wendy and Jeff
Dear Dejay and Sammie,
I don’t know if I can see the keyboard to write, because of the tears that are falling. I know he would say lift up your head and smile and rejoice because I am at home with my Heavenly Father.
He made me well and gave me my health back and for that I will forever be grateful. The hug at the end of the day would lift the burden of the work that he did and the twinkle in his eye, smile and his zest for life. I can’t imagine not ever coming back to Victoria when I need help.
I loved his carvings, and looked so forward to his sharing of his work, because it was so unique and beautiful and I know how much he enjoyed his time in the shop.
May God Bless you and Sammie in your great loss. I wish I could be at the memorial tomorrow, but that is not possible. May you take comfort in the fact Dejay that he loved you so much and Sammie he was very proud of you. I will treasure the memory of you and your Dad working on my problems together last summer, it was so obvious how much Dr. Dino enjoyed it.
With all of our deepest sympathy.
Aileen & Jimmie Bratton