On Tuesday night, Nov. 12, 2013 our loving husband, father, brother and dentist lost his very short battle with kidney cancer while hunting in Montana with two of his sons.
John was born on January 17, 1954 in St. Louis, Mo. to Bob and Charlotte (Miller) Savage.
John is survived by his wife, Susan, and their eight children: Tyler, Trevor, Justin, Riley, Tommy, Andrew, Alison and Kelby. He is also survived by his father, Bob B. Savage, DDS, his brother, Rory (Jennifer) Savage, and his sisters: Steffi (Mike) Davis, Jennifer (Bob) Burnell, Jill (Frank) Litwiller and Becky Savage. John also leaves behind seventeen loving nieces and nephews and six great-nieces and nephews.
John graduated from Langley High School in 1972. He completed a Bachelor of Science in zoology and a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology at the University of Washington graduating in 1978. He studied forensic anthropology at Central Washington University. In 1982 he followed his father’s footsteps into dentistry and attended Washington University in St. Louis. He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in 1986. Throughout his career, he was very education oriented. In June, 2013, he earned his fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry. Dr. Savage was a member of the American Dental Association, Washington State Dental Association and the Yakima Valley Dental Association.
John met his wife Susan while working in Bethel, Alaska, where he was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Native Alaskan Hospital. They moved to Ellensburg in 1995 to start their dental practice, Mountain View Dental Center, PS. John and Susan were married August 5, 1995, in Fort Wayne, Ind.
While working in Alaska he was also an avid fisherman and hunter for Alaskan big game. He would share many vibrant stories of hunting, fishing, flying and camping in the Alaskan wilderness. He also spent a lot of time hunting in the Kittitas Valley, Montana, Utah and Idaho with his kids. His family was his world and his impact will be felt for generations to come.
Dr. Savage brought his compassionate and caring dentistry to Ellensburg where he built his private dental practice and raised his family. Dr. Savage enjoyed every day of his career as a dentist. He felt privileged to be able to serve the Kittitas Valley and beyond by providing oral health care and promoting the oral health of his community. He took his role as a healthcare provider very seriously by being a life-long-learner and challenging himself to continue to expand his dental skills.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the CWU SURC Ballroom, located at 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA.
Charitable gifts may be sent to the American Dental Hygienist’s Association Institute for Oral Health at 444 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 3400, Chicago, IL 60611 or online at www.adha.org/ioh. An education fund for his children has also been established at US Bank under Susan’s name.
