IN MEMORIAM
Remembering Dr. Kim Nordberg It is with tremendous sadness that we share the passing of Dr. Kim Nordberg and his wife, Bette, as a result of an automobile accident Oct. 13. He was 72. Dr. Nordberg was a pillar of the dental community in Puyallup, Pierce County and across the state. Kim wore many hats at the Washington State Dental Association (WSDA) including as a founding member and co-chair of the reconstituted Dental Benefits Committee, a past member of the WSDA Board of Directors, and a board member of the Washington Dentists’ Insurance Agency (WDIA). He represented Pierce County Dental Society (PCDS) as a delegate to the WSDA House of Delegates and served in PCDS leadership as well. He deeply cherished mentoring younger dentists and dental students. Kim was a tireless advocate for his patients and for the dental profession. He cared deeply about providing optimal care for each of his patients, believing that care decisions should be left to a patient and their dentist without interference from third parties. When Kim cared about a topic, he did his homework by talking with his peers and patients and reading the fine print. If collective action was needed, Kim stepped up and helped ensure the objective was achieved. Put simply, Kim cared deeply and fought wholeheartedly for his causes. Kim was a stalwart advocate for the profession he loved so dearly. He was instrumental in working with WSDA in getting dental offices safely back to work during the dark days of the pandemic, and on advancing WSDA’s advocacy agenda, especially the parts focused on dental benefits. Time and again, Kim demonstrated
his sincerity, humility, authenticity, and commitment to doing the right thing. Kim was a devoted father to his family of four children and cherished moments spent with his 10 grandchildren. His son, Dr. Eric Nordberg, said that Kim “worked out his salvation with fear and trembling” as a member of his local church, where he taught fifth- and sixth-grade Sunday school classes and served as a general contractor when the church built its own building.
“Kim cared deeply and fought wholeheartedly for his causes.” Kim supported local mission groups and served on the board of the Cannon Beach Conference Center. He was devoted to international dental missions and spent over 15 years planning and attending dental mission trips to Guatemala and other parts of Central America. Recreationally, he enjoyed boating in the Puget Sound and the inside passage of Vancouver Island, as well as scuba diving around the world. A memorial will be held on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 at 10 a.m. at Lighthouse Christian Center in Puyallup. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to either Dr. Kim Nordberg’s medical mission fund — Agape Ministries — or Cannon Beach Conference Center in Cannon Beach, Oregon [see box]. Our hearts go out to the Nordberg family during this difficult time. Kim will always be missed and will never be forgotten.
Donations in memory of Dr. Nordberg can be made to either: Agape Ministries www.spot.fund/6mss7lsc or Cannon Beach Conference Center cannonbeachconferencecenter.givingfuel.com/memorials
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WSDA Ne w s | Issue 4 . 2024 | www.wsda.org