Dr . Rees ’ Personal Story
Dr . Rees grew up in Ridgway , Pa ., where he returned to practice after graduation .
He has an older sister Mary Lou , a younger sister Anne and an older brother Chuck .
Dr . Rees and his wife Marcia have been married 45 years . They have a daughter Dakota 38 and a son Hudson 35 , both PSU engineers . They have a grandson Holden 16 months old .
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time ( hobbies )? What community activities are you involved in ? In my spare time I enjoy being outdoors hiking , hunting and fishing . I also have a large garden and start many of my plants from seed . Woodworking and carving spoons and spatulas are some of my winter activities .
I ’ m on the board of the Elk County Historical Society and in the Penn State Master Gardner program . I ’ ve been a member and current assistant scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 93 since 1966 .
Name some fun / interesting things about yourself that others would be surprised to learn .
• I ’ m an accomplished home brewer and a graduate of the Penn State Craft Brewing program .
• I ’ m an Eagle Scout as are many other dentists .
• I enjoy shooting skeet and sporting clays .
• My son and I are building a timber-framed barn from trees harvested on our property . It ’ s all mortise and tenon joints held together with wooden pegs .
• I spent part of my summer before the start of dental school as a firefighter for the Forest Service . I was on a forest fire in the Klamath National Forest in northern California . I got home a few days before school started . It was an incredible experience .
Who was your greatest role model ? My Dad was my role model . He was a tireless first responder , serving as fire chief and president of our volunteer fire department . He was also a cofounder of our ambulance service .
He was a cabinetmaker by trade , spent World War II as an oral surgeon ’ s assistant , chosen because of his ability to use a mallet and chisel !
He built our house and furniture , two dental offices for me , and when we weren ’ t working on a project for us we were at a relatives doing something for them .
He taught us self-reliance that nobody wants to help you if you first won ’ t help yourself . Also to find something you have a passion for and give it all your effort to make it better .
What famous person would you most like to spend a day with ? I would like to spend a day with Ben Franklin . An inventor , statesmen , founding father , and writer . He did it all ! I ’ d love to get his take on the process of founding our country and the personalities of the people involved .
Dr . Rees said : “ I ’ ve had a wonderful career treating my patients for 43 years with no regrets . I still find our profession fascinating , keeping up with all the new technology even though I don ’ t practice clinically anymore . Enjoy your profession and give it your all !”
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2025 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 17