Carlton J. McLeod ’52

Carlton J. McLeod ’52, of Hernando, Fla.; May 1.  After Brown, he went on to earn his DDS from the University of Maryland in 1956 and began his naval career as a senior dental student on active duty. Upon graduation, he was selected for the Navy Dental Internship Program and served at St. Albans Naval Hospital, Long Island, N.Y. After subsequent tours he began a three-year program in the specialty of periodontics at the National Naval Dental Center in Bethesda, completing his residency and earning a master’s degree from Georgetown University in 1967. Thereafter, he served as senior dental officer aboard the USS Enterprise, completing two tours to Vietnam from 1967 to 1969.  He was promoted to captain while serving as head of periodontics at Naval Hospital, Oakland, Ca., also known as Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, and was transferred to Naval Dental Center, Great Lakes, Ill. in 1974 as executive officer. He assumed command in 1976. In 1979, he reported to the Navy Bureau of Medicine, and Surgery in Washington, D.C. as head of the professional branch of the dental division. In 1981, now Admiral McLeod, he became Inspector General of the Navy Medical Department. In 1983 he was appointed Chief of the Navy Dental Corps, Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery for Dentistry and, additionally, was the first Director of Health Care Operations, serving on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations in the office of the Surgeon General. He retired in November 1984. He received numerous honors, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Naval Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal with Two Stars, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Cluster and the Vietnam Service Medal. Professionally, he has been honored as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists and a Fellow of the International College of Dentists. He was honored by the University of Maryland Dental School as the Distinguished Alumnus in 2001. He remained active in community and veteran’s affairs, serving as past president of the Citrus County Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. He has served as chairman of the financial advisory board for the Citrus County Art League’s new theater and has been a member of the Veterans Appreciation Week Committee and chairman of the Veterans Day Memorial Service and a member of the Veterans in the Classroom Program since 1995. In December 2018, he was inducted into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame. He is survived by his longtime companion, Marge M. Blunk; three children; and four grandchildren.