Steven Graff-Radford, DDS, FAHS

October 15, 1957 – October 15, 2016

Steven Graff-Radford died on October 15, 2016, his 59th birthday. He is survived by his wife Natalie and his daughters Alexa and Kate, the lights of his life. He will be deeply missed by his siblings, family, and many friends. Steven was born in Johannesburg to Grace and Monte Graff. After Monte’s death, Grace married Geoff Radford, and Steven and his siblings took the last name Graff-Radford out of love and respect for both their fathers. A happy child, Steven developed a personality replete with humor, optimism, and charisma. He qualified as a dentist at the University of the Witwatersrand, winning the Henry St. John Randall Medal for Orthodontics. He later completed a life-changing fellowship in pain management at the UCLA Department of Anesthesiology. Steven was a trailblazer for dentists, expanding dental pain management to treat the full spectrum of headaches, and personally training many dentists. To recognize his skill, the American Headache Society dedicated an annual lecture entitled: The Steven Graff-Radford Lecture on Headache and Facial Pain. Letters from Steven’s patients evince deep gratitude for his expert and transformative care. Steven had a distinguished academic career, receiving numerous grants and publishing in excess of 150 papers, chapters and abstracts. He was a Clinical Professor at the USC School of Dentistry and the director of the Headache, Orofacial Pain and Sleep Apnea Program at the Cedars-Sinai Pain Center.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Headache Society or the American Migraine Foundation.

Published in the Los Angeles Times on Oct. 18, 2016