The life and loss of Georges Sara
56 years young, a digital dentistry pioneer, entrepreneur and industry maverick passes
By Jessica Mitri
It is with immeasurable pain & heartbreak that I wish to share news of the passing of my incredible father,
Georges Elias Sara.
For those unaware, Georges 123-day battle to overcome extensive complications with COVID
ended on Sunday the 22nd of November. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the
amazing nurses & practitioners at New York Presbyterian/Columbia for not only caring for my
father whilst he was across the other side of the world, but foralso caring for the family whilst
we were over here. The current pandemic has truly changed the world. It posed barriers to
us physically being with him, but through the care and compassion shown to all of us, we
felt comforted in knowing that they were not only caring for a patient, they were truly caring
for a colleague.
Words simply cannot describe the fight he put up for those 123 days. And now, we must say
farewell to a colleague,a boss, a son, brother, husband, father, and most importantly
grandfather.
Those of you reading this will have known Georges in various capacities. Over the recent days I have been
overwhelmed by the messages and phone calls received from people whose lives dad had impacted. The
common theme from all of these communications was how fondly Georges spoke of his work and his family.
They spoke about how Georges treated his clients, his colleagues, and his staff as though they were his
own family. This environment and approach to business is something Stoneglass Industries will continue for
Georges.
Georges started out as a young Dental Technician. His achievements and successes are proof that dedication,
passion, & a ‘can do’ attitude can lead to extraordinary things. Georges was the first to bring Zirconia Crowns
in to Australia. Georges managed to implement his CAD/CAM invention, Prosthetic Design Centre (PDC) across
the globe. His work was immaculate and the quality of all products with his name on them was never questionable.
There are still patients today that have 21-year-old crowns and implants in their mouths that he made. Cancer
patients in New York lives have been changed through his amazing work. Georges was awarded honorary
professorships across multiple Universities in the United States that allowed him to train the next generation of
dental industry professionals.
I cannot deny that he was as tough and as stubborn as they came. Yet it came with good intention, purpose and
reason. A human being with a brilliant mind & an even bigger heart. He had this extraordinary talent of seeing
the world through a lens that not many could. He thought differently, spoke differently, and dreamt of things not
many others could. He had a wonderful sense of humour and always managed to leave a lasting impression on
all those who came in to his life.
I am very much my father’s daughter. Since birth I have been blessed to have been involved in various roles
within the business. From being that little girl who was baby sat by sales reps at yearly dental conventions to
actually being the one presenting his inventions at international exhibitions. Every moment spent with Georges
was an honour and a privilege.
Just like all of you, I am in utter disbelief that he is no longer with us. The man that wore his white
Stoneglass polo shirts, his shorts and his sports shoes to meetings with University Deans, will no longer sit in
his Sydney office, telling his loving wife to get him a cup of coffee or rub his shoulders. Or ask me why I
didn’t bring the kids to work.
My family & the Stoneglass team happily shared less time with him whilst he pursued his great American dream.
He has managed to connect us with an amazing group of colleagues who have become family. It is through these
connections that Georges made that the team at Stoneglass/PDC will continue that dream on his behalf.
They say the good ones leave us way too early. You left us way too early dad. Your influence on this world & this
industry will be felt for decades and generations to come. What you started, we will endeavour to continue.