Maureen and David Staples Give Back to WDH with Gifts of Stock

Maureen and David Staples have deep roots and ties in our community. They met at Dover High as juniors and dated for nine years through high school and college. Maureen graduated with a degree in occupational therapy, and Dave graduated with degrees in microbiology and medical technology. Dave went on to dental school at Georgetown and returned to Dover after residency and two years’ service in the U.S. Air Force. Maureen became a certified hand therapist. They were married in 1984. It was always clear that Dover would be their home. It is where they were born and where they met, where they went to school and where their family resides.

Dave’s dental practice (Garrison Family Dental) blossomed, and he retired in 2022 after 35 years at his 801 Central Avenue office. They get much joy from their two daughters’ families, including “4.5” grandchildren—one is expected next March.

Community service is central to their lives. Maureen and Dave have served on a multitude of nonprofit boards, large and small. From education to healthcare, they have been deeply involved in the well-being of the families and residents in the greater Dover area. They have guided nonprofits through challenging times and invested in their programs and services. Dave was honored as Dover’s Volunteer of the Year in 2014.

Dave and Maureen were instrumental to building the Wentworth-Douglass Hospital’s Community Dental Clinic. Through Dave’s work with the Strafford County Dental Coalition, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital provided funding for what became the WDH Community Dental Clinic in 2003. The clinic provides dental care for the underserved and those needing emergency care prior to surgery. The full-time hygienist is a former patient of Dave’s.

The couple cites Lukas Kolm, WDH’s current director of emergency services, as a strong mentor to their daughter Julia, who was an ER nurse at WDH before going back to school to become a family nurse practitioner.

Dave and Maureen have been donors to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital since 2004 and prefer donating appreciated stock directly to the hospital each year. It is a legal way to avoid paying taxes on any long-held investments with significant gains, which enables them to make larger contributions than simply writing a check.

Dave and Maureen give to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital through supporting the dental clinic. They know how much WDH invested in the program to get it started and what it costs to keep it running, and they want to encourage the program’s continuation. Dave remarked: “Honestly, as two retired healthcare providers who recognize we have been fortunate to be as successful as we have been, we are thrilled to be able to give back and thank the community that educated and supported us and our family for so many years.”