Dr. Paul A. McGill transitioned home on November 12, 2020. He was a young trailblazer during the early years of integration in Charlotte, NC, and he continued to blaze trails by becoming the first African American Orthodontist to serve Charlotte.

Paul Arnold McGill was born on September 12, 1949, to Mary Sanders McGill and James Robert McGill at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Charlotte, NC. He was the second of six children. Always a hard worker and diligent student, Paul graduated from West Mecklenburg High School with honors. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Howard University. After completing his education and training in Orthodontics at Howard, he joined the faculty and taught for five years with a special focus on treating children with cleft palate and other maxillofacial anomalies. In the early 1980s, Dr. McGill returned to Charlotte with a vision and on a mission.

Dedication, Diligence, and Commitment

Dr. McGill often said, "Practice is good, but perfect practice should be the goal." He was dedicated to serving everyone -- those who could afford and those who could not afford orthodontic care. Often, he provided care without charge to children with severe needs. He felt honored by the mentorship of Dr. Lacy Caple during his relocation to Charlotte.

Dr. McGill was a dedicated civic leader. Committed to serving the underserved, he established his practice in the Beatties Ford community. He served as a member and in leadership of many community organizations, including the Beatties Ford Corridor Incubator and the C.W. Williams Community Health Center. He was honored by have the privilege of serving on the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church Trustee Board for many years and was a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Dr. McGill enjoyed helping others achieve their dreams and often said, "I was the first, but I will not be the last". In 2017, he was honored by the Charlotte Medical Society for his dedication to the community. He believed in the McCrorey YMCA, served on its board, and was honored in January 2019 as one annual MLK Prayer Breakfast founders. This event that started with just a few people 25 years ago celebrated with more than 1,000 attendees in 2019. He was thankful and humbled by the shows of appreciation.

Dedicated to his profession, Dr. McGill was a past president of the Charlotte Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Society and a past member of the NC Medical Care Commission. He thoroughly enjoyed convening with his colleagues in the AJ Williams Study Club and the Old North State Dental Society. Dedicated to helping others achieve their dreams, Dr. McGill and his wife, Dr. Cheryl Walker-McGill, launched the Right Track Program, a mentoring and internship program for high school and college students. He was immensely proud of his students who pursued careers in dentistry graduating from ECU, Meharry and Howard University. He appreciated receiving their updates through the years.

Dr. McGill was enthusiastic about technology overall and applied innovation in his professional and personal life. He enjoyed exploring potential applications of 3-D and new digital healthcare technology .and he worked tirelessly on developing strategies for increasing broadband access in at risk communities and looked forward to the day when educational opportunities could be accessed with a simple click.

A Beautiful Smile and A Loving Heart

Dr. McGill loved and was dedicated to his family, friends, and his church. He loved feeling loved and enjoyed the special birthday celebrations of his love and life with family and friends in Charlotte, Sag Harbor, Miami, Detroit, Hawaii, and many other places around the world. "When one thinks of Paul, one thinks of joy, he brought joy and he lived a life of joy", said Dr. Ralph Loomis.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made payable to the C.W. Kerry Scholarship Fund,

c/o Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 3400 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, NC 28216.

Homegoing Celebration for Dr. Paul McGill

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