In Memory of Dave Muller: A Lesson for Us All

I had hoped to never write these words.

On Tuesday, a beloved member of Team Schein succumbed to the coronavirus. His name was Dave Muller and, at 38 years of age, he was young, healthy, and among those that some have maintained are at less risk from this unpredictable disease. A 14-year veteran of the company, Dave was the first and, we pray, the only Team Schein Member we will lose to the pandemic.

I write these words with the encouragement of Dave’s father, Hal Muller, who is now a consultant to Henry Schein after almost 30 years of leadership with the company. There is a lesson in Dave’s passing that we would like the world to hear, and it is this:

The coronavirus can be lethal and the risk to all of us is real. 

Dave Muller had no pre-existing conditions, no co-morbidities, no complications that would have suggested he was any more at risk to the coronavirus than anyone else. His passing reinforces the truth that there is no way of knowing who among us will endure the horror of this disease.

We are devastated by the loss of Dave, who was the Director of Multisite Sales, Equipment & Technology for our U.S. Dental business. He was known to his colleagues as kind, fun-loving, easy-going, and a joy to have as a teammate. He leaves behind his heartbroken wife, daughter, parents, sister, friends, colleagues, and a lesson for us all: the coronavirus can be lethal and the risk to everyone is real. 

We must take the advice of our health care professionals and scientists very seriously when they encourage us to wear face coverings, maintain our physical distance, and frequently wash our hands — all of us need to do this, regardless of age or health status, to bring this awful pandemic to an end.