and gil were indeed friendly until the end, texting each other throughout that last giants game tom watched. and gil, like tom, was well-respected around town. >> he works hard, and he is not interested in money, as far as i can tell. >> reporter: zach sklar is a patient of gil's and has always admired his generosity. >> does a lot of volunteer work in poor areas. >> reporter: did he ever say why he likes to do that? >> i think he's a man who cares. it's as -- as simple as that. i mean, he cares about his patients. and he cares that -- about, you know, people having access to good dental care. >> reporter: he was a member of the local chamber of commerce, a volunteer firefighter, voted one of the top hudson valley dentists five times, and chosen to endorse products in online ads. >> i'm dr. gilberto nunez. i'm a practitioner in kingston, new york. >> it was a very thriving practice. we were v -- we're very busy. >> reporter: his office manager, irene prehn, has worked for gil