Obituaries

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AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

Nonmember

Albert Thomas Amlung

Dr. Amlung (IL ’70), 61, Swansea, Ill., died Oct. 22, 2007. Dr. Amlung founded Belleville Animal Clinic in Belleville, Ill., in 1972, the same year he became a part-time instructor of human anatomy and physiology at Southwestern Illinois College. He became a full-time professor of biology and microbiology there in 1993, and he returned to practice part time at Belleville from 2003-2006.

Among his other accomplishments, Dr. Amlung helped create a nature preserve at Southwestern Illinois College. He had been a Belleville Area Humane Society board member, St. Clair County animal control director, and Swansea police commissioner. He was a member of the Illinois State VMA.

Dr. Amlung’s wife, Carol; a daughter; and a son survive him. Memorials may be made to the Westview Baptist Church Building Fund, 2500 Sullivan Drive, Swansea, IL 62226.

James D. Beesley

Dr. Beesley (KSU ’74), 57, Everson, Wash., died July 31, 2007. Recently, he had worked part time at Mountain Veterinary Hospital. From 1986-2001, he practiced at Glacierview Animal Hospital, which he co-founded in Ferndale, Wash. He practiced previously at Mission Animal Hospital in Alhambra, Calif. Dr. Beesley’s wife, Kathryn, and a son survive him. Memorials may be made to Bea Martin Peck Animal Shelter Memorial Fund, c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory St., Ottawa KS 66067.

Charles R. Benkelman

Dr. Benkelman (COL ’78), 54, Ebert, Colo., died Oct. 30, 2007. He was a professor and veterinarian at Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in Denver. Earlier in his career, Dr. Benkelman served as chief of staff (veterinary services) for Banfield Pet Hospitals, was regional medical director for PetSmart Veterinary Services, served as president of Pet Foods Plus, and owned a practice in Las Vegas.

His wife, Janna, and two children survive him. Memorials may be made to the Dr. Charles Benkelman Memorial Scholarship, 1681 S. Dayton, Denver, CO 80247.

Robert F. Borgman

Dr. Borgman (MSU ’47), 81, Candler, N.C., died Oct. 6, 2007. He was a member of the faculty of Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., for 27 years. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps. He also practiced for several years in Asheville, N.C. Before that, Dr. Borgman completed an AVMA Research Fellowship and published his thesis on “The response of adult dogs and English Bulldog puppies to thyroid stimulation” in JAVMA and AJVR.

Dr. Borgman’s wife, Mary; two daughters; and two sons survive him. Memorials may be made to Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 51 Wilburn Place, Asheville, NC 28806.

Joyce L. Colbert

Dr. Colbert (COR ’85), 48, Oakland, Md., died Nov. 7, 2007. Her large animal practice, Deer Park Veterinary Services, served Garrett County, Md.; Preston County, W.Va.; and some surrounding rural areas. Dr. Colbert focused on sheep, goats, alpacas, and llamas. Memorials may be made to the Joyce Colbert Veterinary Scholarship Fund, c/o First United Bank and Trust, P.O. Box 9, Oakland, MD 21550.

Joe R. Held

Dr. Held (CAL ’55), 76, Arlington, Va., died Oct. 29, 2007.

As an officer in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, Dr. Held attained the position of assistant surgeon general—the first time a veterinarian in any of the uniformed services rose to that rank. Later, he served with the Pan American Health Organization.

His leadership in improving human and animal health throughout Latin America and the Caribbean won him the XII International Veterinary Congress Prize in 1989. He received numerous other awards, including the Charles River Prize and the PHS Distinguished Service Medal.

Dr. Held began his 29-year career with the PHS in 1955 when he became an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Most of his assignments were with the CDC and the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. He served as assistant surgeon general and chief veterinary officer of the PHS under Presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan. In 1984, Dr. Held retired with the rank of rear admiral.

Subsequently, he accepted a position with the PAHO/World Health Organization as director of the Pan American Zoonoses Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1987, he became coordinator of the Veterinary Public Health Program of PAHO. From 1989-1991, Dr. Held was vice president of primate operations for Charles River Laboratories. Thereafter, he volunteered with PAHO and the NIH.

Dr. Held was involved with numerous committees, advisory boards, and working groups for the PHS, NIH, PAHO, and in Geneva, for the WHO. Leadership positions included alternate delegate in the AVMA House of Delegates and president of the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society and the District of Columbia VMA. He was a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and American College of Epidemiology, and an honorary diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.

Survivors include his wife, Carolyn; three daughters; and a son.

Lawrence L. Kramer

Dr. Kramer (ISU ’63), 74, Cortland, N.Y., died Nov. 8, 2007. The equine veterinarian retired from teaching in 1976 to his farm in Cortland and worked for the New York State Racing Authority for 20 years. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, he had taught first at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and then at the University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Kramer also bred and showed Belgian draft horses.

C. Clinton Shoffner

Dr. Shoffner (COL ’44), 93, Grand Junction, Colo., died Oct. 19, 2007. He had practiced in Granby, Colo., prior to his retirement in 1977. For 15 years, he practiced from his ranch in Middle Park, Colo. Previously, he was a partner at the Boulder Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Shoffner’s wife, Ruth; one daughter; and three sons survive him. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Western Colorado, P.O. Box 60307, Grand Junction, CO 81506.

George H. Stuewer

Dr. Stuewer (MSU ’43), 87, Greenville, Mich., died June 4, 2007. He practiced in Greenville starting in 1947. He served as a city councilman and a library board member. He was a life member of the Michigan VMA, a member of the Greenville Rotary and American Legion, and a mentor at Cedar Crest Elementary School. During World War II, he served in the Army. A son and two daughters survive him. Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, 204 W. Cass St., Greenville, MI 48838; Gary Wakenhut-Healing Music Ministry, 7363 Edgar Road, Lakeview, MI 48850; or Hospice of Michigan, 400 Perry St., Big Rapids, MI 49307.

Daryl K. Thorpe

Dr. Thorpe (ISU ’52), 78, Aberdeen, S.D., died Nov. 17, 2007. It was after retiring in 1998 that Dr. Thorpe became executive director of the South Dakota VMA. Previously, he worked for the state of South Dakota, holding the position of state veterinarian from 1986-1995. Under his direction, his agency transformed from the South Dakota Livestock Sanitary Board into the South Dakota Animal Industry Board. He was named South Dakota Veterinarian of the Year in 1991. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Dr. Thorpe helped address an introduction of cattle scabies into South Dakota. From 1952-1978, he practiced in Huron, S.D., where he and a partner formed the Huron Veterinary Clinic, and then in Leola, S.D., where he opened a clinic. He served as president of the SDVMA in 1966.

Dr. Thorpe’s wife, Bonnie; a daughter; and three sons survive him. Memorials may be made to the South Dakota VMA, Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 2175, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007.

George M. Thue

Dr. Thue (WSU ’50), 97, Shoreline, Wash., died Sept. 21, 2007. He established Phinney Ridge Animal Clinic in Seattle in 1978 and owned it until 1985. Previously, he had practiced in several states, primarily Texas. He worked as a government meat inspector for several years in Texas. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army in France and Germany. Dr. Thue’s wife, Margaret; three stepdaughters; and two stepsons survive him. Memorials may be made to Mountlake Terrace Christian Church, 5304 232nd St. S.W., Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043, or to Group Health Cooperative Hospice Services, 2100 124th Ave. N.E., Suite 110, Bellevue, WA 98005.

Gabriel Tuder

Dr. Tuder (MSU ’41), 88, Bayonne, N.J., died Oct. 15, 2007. Prior to retirement, he ran Bayonne Animal Hospital and maintained a practice in Jersey City. He served as a consulting veterinarian for cardiovascular research at Newark Beth Israel Hospital. He also served as board chairman for the United Hebrew School of Bayonne. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Dr. Tuder provided veterinary care for the horses belonging to the New York Police Department. Dr. Tuder’s cousin, Dr. Michael Tuder (PHU ’82), now runs the Bayonne Animal Hospital. Dr. Gabriel Tuder’s wife, Ceceil; a daughter; and a son survive him.