From classmates to soulmates: School of Dentistry alumni share their love stories
The Howells
Drs. Maria and Mark Howell, School of Dentistry Class of 1983, met their first year in dental school in 1979. The class seating chart in that era was both obligatory and alphabetical, which placed Maria right behind Mark!
They started dating in October 1980 and talked about marriage the night before their dental school graduation. They were married on November 5, 1983.
Drs. Maria and Mark Howell both taught in the dental school, Maria full-time and Mark part-time, and later practiced together for almost 20 years.
Although choosing their favorite memory together proved challenging, building a dental practice together in 2001 dynamically elevated their personal and professional lives. Their new practice was located on the school bus route for their two children. Mark worked all day and looked forward to when the bus dropped off their children daily at their dental office.
They were a true family business, and their time together was priceless. Those years remain their happiest as they look back over the 45 years they have known each other.
Photos: Drs. Lemke at Disneyworld in 1993, and the Lemkes with their two sons, Daniel and Andrew, in 2018.
The Lemkes
Drs. Kelly and Robert Lemke, Íø±¬³Ô¹Ï School of Dentistry Classes of 1987 and 1995, met in the dental school's hallway in March 1993. Kelly was a second-year dental student, and Robert was in the final months of his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency.
In the days before email, Kelly was checking her mail at the old combination-lock mailboxes on the third floor of the dental school and struck up a conversation with Robert. That conversation led them to celebrate 30 years of marriage in November of last year!
Over the years, they have enjoyed traveling together on numerous trips. Their favorite trip was to the Galapagos Islands and Peru, where they did a four-day hike along the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu.
Alumni stories
Did you meet your special someone while attending Íø±¬³Ô¹Ï School of Dentistry or want to share your personal School of Dentistry alumni story? Send us an email at SoDnews@uthscsa.edu.