Dr. Walter Haskel Ariker

Dr. Walter Haskel Ariker, DMD, of Orange, CT passed away at the age of 91. He was born March 8, 1931 in Boston, MA and lived in Norwich, CT in his early years. He was the son of Louis and Rae Ariker. He attended the University of Connecticut where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Pre Med studies. It was at UConn that he met his beloved wife of 67 years, Diane Fried. He graduated from Tufts Dental School and went on to complete postgraduate studies in Orthodontics at Tufts in 1959. He then moved to Milford, CT, where he established a successful orthodontic practice of 39 years. He was a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. He was a superb practitioner and his great satisfaction was sharing patients’ pleasure in the changes they experienced as a result of their treatment. His warm and friendly manner endeared him to both patients and parents. Even after his retirement he was often approached by former patients who wanted to reconnect and share their life stories. He was President of the Milford Dental Society, a member of Milford Rotary and a long time member of Temple Emanuel of Greater New Haven. After retirement, for many years he was a docent at the Yale University Art Gallery, the Yale Center for British Art and a volunteer at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale. He particularly enjoyed volunteering for the Jewish Coalition for Literacy as this continued his lifelong interest in mentoring youth. His generous spirit took the form of philanthropic support for numerous not for profit organizations in the greater New Haven area. He was an intrepid traveler. His sense of adventure and curiosity regarding other cultures took him and Diane on worldwide journeys to the farthest reaches of the globe. His love for the arts was an important part of his life and he was a dedicated patron attending performances of music, dance, opera and theater. He was a voluminous reader, particularly of books addressing history and politics and could be counted on to cite people, dates and places whenever the conversation took a turn in that direction, or not. He played tennis all his adult life as he loved the game and the camaraderie associated with it. However, his primary passion was his love for his partner and best friend, Diane, and for his children and grandchildren. He and Diane raised three wonderful children, Matthew, Lauren and Jeremy. He was the loving fatherin-law of Shanti, Mark and Stephanie and the proud and devoted grandfather to Alex, Kyra, Jacob, Molly and Gershon Levi. He leaves behind his sister Shirley Ariker, her husband Michael and his brother-in-law Seymour Kroopnick. His sister Lorraine predeceased him. His family and friends will miss his enthusiasm, humor and warmth as these qualities marked his interactions with people throughout his rich life. Funeral Services will be held at The Robert E. Shure & Son Funeral Home, 543 George St., New Haven on TUESDAY morning, Oct. 4th at 11:00. Relatives and friends are asked to arrive starting at 10:15. Masks are recommended. Burial will be private. Contributions in Walter’s memory may be made to Music Haven www.musichavenct.org or Women’s Health Research at Yale https://medicine.yale. edu/whr/ , or to an organization of choice. To sign an online registry book or leave a message of condolence, please visit;www.shurefuneralhome.com.