Horace L. Jefferson

Dr. Horace Lee Jefferson, age 92, passed away on January 15, 2017 at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan. He was born in Detroit, Michigan on October 10, 1924, the second child of John Lee Jefferson and Mattie Louise (Mason) Jefferson.

A 1943 graduate of Cass Technical High School, he first worked at Ford Motor Company and then entered the US Army in December 1943, serving with distinction until May 1946. Upon his return to Detroit, he entered Highland Park Junior College’s two-year pre-dentistry program, then transferred to the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in Ann Arbor in 1948, graduating in 1952 as one of only two African Americans in his class. He met and married the love of his life, Betty Lou Brown, in 1952. They were soon blessed with four children: Linda, Eric, Judith and Michael.

He established his private general practice in 1952 and served as the senior dentist at Herman Kiefer Hospital from 1954 through 1970. He was an active member of several professional organizations including the Michigan Dental Association, the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry and served as a former president of the Wolverine Dental Society. In the early 1970’s he was a staunch advocate for ensuring that his elderly and indigent patients had access to Medicaid dental benefits for positive preventative care.

Horace was a devoted family man who made sure that he was home every evening to sit down for dinner with his children. He arranged family camping trips throughout the US and Canada during school holidays and summer breaks. His many hobbies included electronics, carpentry and anything mechanical. He could fix anything that was broken, often making it better than it was to begin with. (His children called him the original MacGyver.) He was a news junkie, a weather watcher, a sports fanatic and a die-hard Lions, Pistons and Tigers fan. Everyone knew that Horace was a Michigan Wolverine to his core. A day did not pass without him tuning in to the NASA channel, CNN or WhiteHouse.gov. He loved jazz, blues, classical music and dancing with Betty Lou. Nothing was finer than a meal out in a restaurant with friends or family, especially with a glass of white Zinfandel. He was a lifetime member of the Detroit Chapter of the NAACP, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Epsilon Chapter and a founding member of his beloved WestSiders, an organization dedicated to preserving the friendships and strong community values of his historic African American West Side neighborhood. He and Betty Lou had an active social life and were blessed with lifelong friendships. Horace most especially enjoyed his weekly Thursday breakfast out with his buddies, terrorizing the waitresses, but leaving generous tips. His cheerfully optimistic spirit will be missed by all.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Mattie Louise and John Lee Jefferson; his brother, John Oliver Jefferson, and a sister, Evelyn Moon.

He leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife of 64 years, Betty Lou; his children, Linda Evans (Walter), Eric, Judith Ricard (Gerald) and Michael; his sister, Gloria Taylor (Jesse); six grandchildren, Scott Jefferson, Eric Jefferson, Albert Jefferson, Jala Jefferson, Edward Jefferson and Jade Jefferson; nieces Gloria Jean Taylor (George), Rhonda Taylor, Carol Jefferson and Melanie Jefferson; a nephew, Jesse Kevin Taylor and many, many friends.

Memorial gifts: The WestSiders Scholarship Fund
3265 W. Outer Dr.
Detroit, MI 48221
(Kindly make checks payable to The WestSiders)