Remembering Willi

In the music industry a handful of people became mononymous legends. In the dental profession, there was only one, Willi. A master, a mentor, and a true friend. Mr. "Willi" Geller led our profession to new heights and inspired many, if not all, of the last generation of educators, and single-handedly raised the level of the entire dental profession.

The first time we met was in his office in Zurich. Without invitation, I had the effrontery to show up at his front door. A young woman let me in, asked me to wait, and disappeared into another room. Would he just ask me to leave, or, as the rumors had it, would I have to sweep the floors to earn my way in? To my surprise, the man, myth, and legend walked into the foyer. He walked decidedly toward me and spoke my name, "Peter." I was struck that he knew my name and that he had any inkling as to who I was. At this point, I had been lecturing for years, but much more in the United States and Canada, so I was certainly surprised. Politely, I responded, "Thank you, Mr. Geller," explaining that I was on route to one of my first lectures in Austria and could not pass up the opportunity to meet him. To my chagrin, Mr. Geller responded as he shook my hand, "It is Willi," welcoming me further. Mr. Geller escorted me through a quick tour of the office, including the kitchen area where he prepared cappuccino, then off we went to the garden outside to sit and talk.