Tributes pour in for ‘pioneering’ Blackburn dentist

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Colleagues, patients and friends have paid tribute to ‘pioneering’ Blackburn dentist, Lily Burke. Known as ‘Teddy’, Lily came to England having survived persecution during the Nazi regime in Germany and she became one of the most iconic dentists of her generation.

Family members confirmed that Lily passed away at the age of 85 recently, and tributes started to pour in instantly. Lily’s daughter, Caroline, described her mother as a “pioneer as a dentist” and said that she was never afraid to push the boundaries to create opportunities for herself and for other females who wanted to pursue a career in dentistry. In her first job, she wasn’t allowed to go into the surgery because she was female, but she kept working towards her goals and she never gave up. Her father was a dentist and it was a dream to follow in his footsteps.

Having moved from Germany, Lily went to school in Twickenham before studying dentistry at the University of London. It was here that she met her husband, Paul. Lily moved to Paul’s hometown Blackburn, which he described as a “shock to the system” but she quickly adapted and became an active member of the local community. Lily excelled in her dental career, but she also had many other hobbies and talents. She established a playgroup at St Gabriel’s Church, she showed dogs at Crufts and she was a very keen golfer. 

Sadly, in later life, Lily, who was known to friends and family as ‘Teddy’ developed Alzheimer’s disease and the family is asking for donations to the Alzheimer’s Society.

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