Dr. Louis Finkle; Retired Dentist

Dr. Louis Finkle, who practiced dentistry in Burbank for more than 20 years, has died at a Burbank hospital. He was 79.

A longtime Sherman Oaks resident, Finkle died Thursday of kidney failure, said his daughter, Sandra Rosen of Leona Valley.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Finkle graduated from the University of Minnesota Dental School in 1934 and practiced dentistry in his hometown. Finkle served as a captain in the Canadian air force during World War II.

He became a U.S. citizen in 1957 and in 1961 opened a dental practice in Burbank, specializing in dental implants and orthodontics. He retired in the mid-1980s.

Finkle was on staff at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Encino Hospital and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and had donated his time at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. He taught at UCLA for five years in the 1970s and was a member of the American Academy of Implant Prosthodontics, International Academy of Orthodontics of Southern California, American Academy of Implant Dentistry, American Dental Assn. and the Southern California Society of Clinical Hypnosis.

In addition to his daughter Sandra, Finkle is survived by his wife of 48 years, Mona Finkle; sons Robert Finkle of Monte Vista, Colo., and Dr. Harley Finkle of Canyon Lake, Calif.; daughter Dr. Brenda Klass of Encino; three sisters, and 13 grandchildren.

A funeral service, with burial to follow, is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at Eden Memorial Park, 11500 Sepulveda Blvd., in Mission Hills. Glasband-Willen Mortuary in North Hollywood is handling the arrangements.