Obituaries

AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

Nonmember

William C. Bowe

Dr. Bowe (Purdue ’69), 73, Rutherfordton, North Carolina, died April 17, 2015. A small animal veterinarian, he owned Village Square Veterinary Clinic in Boynton Beach, Florida, prior to retirement in 2006. Earlier in his career, Dr. Bowe worked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and practiced at Boynton-Trail Animal Clinic in Boynton Beach. His wife, Whitney; a daughter and two sons; and eight grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Level at the Cross, 123 Pine Knoll, Forest City, NC 28043; or Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Development Office, 625 Harrison St., West Lafayette, IN 47907.

Robert E. Cody Jr.

Dr. Cody (Kansas State ’71), 71, Williamsport, Maryland, died May 4, 2015. A mixed animal veterinarian, he co-owned Cumberland Valley Veterinary Clinic in Hagerstown, Maryland, prior to retirement in 2003. Early in his career, Dr. Cody worked four years in Kansas at Hoxie and Hill City. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; four daughters and two sons; and seven grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Doey’s House, c/o Hospice of Washington County, 747 Northern Ave., Hagerstown, MD 21742.

Norman T. Erekson

Dr. Erekson (Iowa State ’59), 84, Layton, Utah, died Dec. 20, 2014. He began his career working in Keosauqua, Iowa, and at racetracks in Chicago. In 1960, Dr. Erekson established North Cache Veterinary Clinic, a mixed animal practice in Richmond, Utah. He later served as assistant state veterinarian, retiring in 1996. Dr. Erekson was a past president of the Utah VMA and served on the Utah Veterinary Board. His wife, Annie; two sons and four daughters; 30 grandchildren; 45 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren survive him.

H. Larry Gore

Dr. Gore (Texas A&M ’48), 89, Fayetteville, Georgia, died Jan. 26, 2015. During his career, he practiced small animal medicine in Florida at Lakeland, Ocala, and Orlando. Dr. Gore was a past executive vice president of the Florida VMA, a charter president of the Ocala and Suwanee VMAs, and a member of what is now known as the Society for Theriogenology. He served on the AVMA Judicial Council from 1978-1983. In 1971, Dr. Gore received an FVMA Gold Star Award, and, in 1988, he was the recipient of the FVMA Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Gore is survived by three daughters and a son, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Wiley J. Greenway

Dr. Greenway (Georgia ’51), 91, Roswell, Georgia, died April 8, 2015. During his career, he owned practices in Georgia at Chamblee and Sandy Springs. Dr. Greenway was a past president of the Georgia VMA and Greater Atlanta VMS. He served on the Georgia Board of Veterinarians for five years, including a year as chair, and was a past director of the University of Georgia Veterinary Alumni Association. Dr. Greenway was also a past member of the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and what is now known as the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities. In 1980, the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine named him Alumnus of the Year, and, in 1985, he was named Georgia Veterinarian of the Year. In 2014, the GVMA honored Dr. Greenway with the J.T. Mercer Lifetime Achievement Award. Active in civic life, he was a member of the Lions Club and Jaycees.

Dr. Greenway served in the Army during World War II. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge and received several honors for his service, including a Presidential Citation, a French Citation, and an Honor Medal from the Mayor of Bastogne, Belgium. Dr. Greenway’s wife, Virginia; two daughters and a son; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild survive him. Memorials may be made to the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, 501 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602.

Rulan S. Hansen

Dr. Hansen (Iowa State ’57), 93, Decorah, Iowa, died March 26, 2015. He moved to Decorah in 1957 and practiced at Decorah Veterinary Clinic prior to retirement in 1987. A Navy veteran of World War II, Dr. Hansen was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars. His wife, Mary; a son and a daughter; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren survive him.

Douglas M. Hird

Dr. Hird (Michigan State ’46), 92, Cicero, Indiana, died Dec. 31, 2014. He owned a mixed animal practice in Gaylord, Michigan, prior to retirement. Dr. Hird was a past mayor of Gaylord and a member of the Kiwanis Club. His son and daughter, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren survive him.

John W. Horn

Dr. Horn (Illinois ’61), 84, Grove, Oklahoma, died May 11, 2015. A mixed animal veterinarian, he established a practice in Seminole, Oklahoma, following graduation. Dr. Horn subsequently practiced in the state at Sulphur and Grove. He later began a teaching career, working at Bixby High School until retirement in 1997.

Dr. Horn was a member of the Oklahoma VMA, Masonic Lodge, and Oklahoma and Delaware County Retired Educators associations, and served on the Grove School Board for six years. He received several citations and awards for teaching, including being named Bixby Schools Teacher of the Year in 1985. Dr. Horn served in the Air Force during the Korean War. His wife, Byrkie; a son; two grandchildren and one stepgrandchild; and a great-grandchild survive him. Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 122 W. Church Ave., Fairland, OK 74343.

Thomas H. Howard

Dr. Howard (Purdue ’69), 69, Poynette, Wisconsin, died Feb. 14, 2015. He worked for Gala Biotech in Middleton, Wisconsin, prior to retirement in 2007. Dr. Howard began his career practicing dairy medicine in Phoenix. In 1974, he joined American Breeders Service in DeForest, Wisconsin, as a resident veterinarian. Dr. Howard subsequently transferred to ABS in Colorado, eventually serving as vice president of production. In 1991, he left ABS to establish his own consulting business, focusing on bovine reproduction. Dr. Howard was Wisconsin state veterinarian and administrator of animal health from 1993-1996.

He served as treasurer of the Wisconsin VMA for several years, was a past chair of its executive search committee, and helped develop the WVMA Food Armor program, to ensure food safety and responsible medication use on dairy farms. Dr. Howard received the WVMA President’s Award in 1996 and 2008, was named Veterinarian of the Year in 2008, and received a Meritorious Service Award in 2014. His wife, Susan, and a daughter and a son survive him. Memorials may be made to the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Foundation, 4610 S. Bittmore Lane, Suite 107, Madison, WI 53718.

Klemens F. Johnson

Dr. Johnson (Washington State ’38), 99, Lacey, Washington, died Dec. 31, 2014. He worked for the Food and Drug Administration prior to retirement in 1976. Earlier in his career, Dr. Johnson was with the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. He served in the Army Veterinary Corps during World War II. Dr. Johnson was a member of the Lions Club. He is survived by his wife, Katherine; three daughters; three grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Memorials may be made to Leader Dogs for the Blind, 1039 Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48307; or The Nature Conservancy, 1245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203.

Mark Kranz

Dr. Kranz (Cornell ’80), 60, Clymer, New York, died Feb. 21, 2015. A mixed animal veterinarian, he practiced in Pennsylvania and New York for 35 years. Dr. Kranz bred, trained, and raced Thoroughbred horses and was a member of the Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York State Thoroughbred Horse Racing associations. Memorials may be made to the Town of Mina Recreation Program, Findley Lake Community Center, 2883 N. Road, Findley Lake, NY 14736; or Chautauqua County Humane Society, 2825 Strunk Road, Jamestown, NY 14701.

Roger L. Lukens

Dr. Lukens (Kansas State ’66), 73, Medicine Lodge, Kansas, died May 12, 2015. He was professor emeritus of veterinary technology and a past director of the veterinary technology program at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. During his tenure, which began in 1975, Dr. Lukens also served as assistant to the dean of veterinary medicine. Earlier in his career, he taught and served as director of the animal technology program at Colby Community College in Colby, Kansas.

Dr. Lukens was a past president of what is now known as the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators and a member of what is now the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America and the Kansas and Western Kansas VMAs. In 1991, he served on a veterinary advisory panel established by the Pew Health Professions Commission. Dr. Lukens was a member of the Medicine Lodge City Council and Medicine Lodge Lions Club.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia; two sons and two daughters; six grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Dr. Lukens’ daughter, Dr. Melissa Lukens, is a 1998 graduate of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Memorials toward the Medicine Lodge Lions Club or Freedom Gates Boys Ranch may be made c/o Larrison Funeral Home, 120 E. Lincoln, Medicine Lodge, KS 67104. Memorials may also be made toward a scholarship fund in Dr. Lukens’ name at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, IN 47907.

Frank S. Moffett

Dr. Moffett (Texas A&M ’64), 78, Dilley, Texas, died Feb. 21, 2015. He practiced large animal medicine in South Texas. Dr. Moffett also served as veterinarian for the La Salle Junior Livestock Show. He was a member of the Texas VMA and a past president of the Frio County Livestock Show. Dr. Moffett served four terms as mayor of Dilley and was a past president of the Dilley Chamber of Commerce and Dilley Lions Club. A veteran of the Army, he attained the rank of captain.

Dr. Moffett’s wife, Barbara; two sons and two daughters; seven grandchildren; and a great-grandchild survive him. Memorials may be made to Covey Chapel Cemetery Association, Dilley, TX 78017; Medina Children’s Home, 21300 State Highway 16, North Medina, Texas 78055; or American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.

Harvey J. Olander

Dr. Olander (California-Davis ’58), 82, Winters, California, died May 15, 2015. A past president of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, he was a professor and veterinary pathologist at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine prior to retirement in 1994. During his 13-year tenure, Dr. Olander also coordinated the veterinary pathology residency program and directed pathology services. Earlier in his career, he served on the faculty of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, also working in the college’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, and spent three years in the Department of Pathology at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Known for his expertise on gastrointestinal diseases of swine, Dr. Olander served as president of the Comparative Gastroenterology Society from 1973-1974. The Danish Research Council sponsored him to be a guest professor in Denmark to work on swine gastrointestinal diseases, and he led a Small Ruminant Cooperative Research Science Program in northeast Brazil. Dr. Olander was a member of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, and International Academy of Pathologists. He is survived by his wife Maureen; a daughter, a son, and two stepdaughters; and 10 grandchildren.

Bobby J. Payne

Dr. Payne (Texas A&M ’56), 83, Richmond, Virginia, died March 8, 2015. Following graduation, he worked for the former Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, serving as head of the pathology department at what is now known as the Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh. After earning his master’s in veterinary pathology from Texas A&M University and obtaining a doctorate from the University of Minnesota in veterinary pathology, Dr. Payne joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an assistant professor of nutritional pathology.

Subsequently, Dr. Payne worked 10 years at SmithKline Beecham in Philadelphia. During that time, Dr. Payne served as a clinical pathologist and was associate director of pathology. Later, he directed drug safety evaluation for A.H. Robins Company in Richmond, Virginia; served as president and director of a toxicology research laboratory in Muskegon, Michigan; co-owned and presided over Midlantic Bio-Research Corporation in Temple Hills, Maryland; and worked for Charles River Laboratories in Redfield, Arkansas, and Lexicon Genetics Corporation in The Woodlands, Texas.

During his career, Dr. Payne was also a pathology/toxicology consultant and an adjunct professor at the University of Louisiana in Monroe. Shortly before retirement in 2010, he was a visiting professor in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Dr. Payne was a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and a member of the Society of Toxicologic Pathology, Society of Toxicology, and American College of Toxicology. He is survived by his wife, C.J. Reynolds, and a daughter and a son.

Kevin J. Ruch

Dr. Ruch (Wisconsin ’88), 52, Milwaukee, died April 6, 2015. A small animal veterinarian, he co-owned Elmbrook Veterinary Clinic in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Dr. Ruch is survived by his wife, Beverlee, and two sons. Memorials may be made to Brookfield Christian Reformed Church, 14135 W. Burleigh Road, Brookfield, WI 53005; Brookfield Christian School, 14155 W. Burleigh Road, Brookfield, WI 53005; or Wisconsin Humane Society, 4500 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208.

Thomas G. Schalk

Dr. Schalk (Iowa State ’56), 82, Sarasota, Florida, died April 29, 2015. He retired from Upjohn Company in 1994 as vice president of the agricultural division and general manager of worldwide animal health. Following graduation, Dr. Schalk served as a first lieutenant in the Army Veterinary Corps for two years. He then practiced in Clarion, Iowa, before joining Upjohn Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1963. During his career with Upjohn, he served as vice president of the international division and helped organize the animal health division into an international entity.

Dr. Schalk was a past chair of the Animal Health Institute and a member of the National Cattlemen’s Association and European Trade Association. He is survived by his wife, Fredrica; a daughter and a son; and five grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, P.O. Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202.

Stonewall J. Shirley Jr.

Dr. Shirley (Georgia ’54), 83, Commerce, Georgia, died April 6, 2015. Following graduation, he established Commerce Veterinary Hospital, where he practiced mixed animal medicine until retirement in 1981. Dr. Shirley also owned Shirley Feed and Seed and raised cattle. He was a past president of the North Georgia VMA and a member of the Georgia VMA. Dr. Shirley was also a past member of the Jackson County Cattlemen’s Association board of directors.

Active in civic life, he was a past vice president of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and was active with the Lions Club, Jaycees, and Kiwanis. Dr. Shirley’s wife, Genevieve; three sons and a daughter; nine grandchildren; and a great-grandchild survive him. His daughter-in-law, Dr. Anne Shirley (Georgia ’86), is a small animal veterinarian in Winterville, Georgia. Memorials toward the Mission Grant Fund may be made to First Baptist Church, 1345 South Elm St., Commerce, GA 30529.

Jack E. Swearingen

Dr. Swearingen (Colorado State ’61), 77, Lone Tree, Colorado, died Jan. 22, 2015. A small animal veterinarian, he moved to Littleton following graduation and began his career practicing at Cherrylynn Animal Hospital. Dr. Swearingen later co-established Broadway Estates Veterinary Clinic and Animal Hospital Specialty Center in Littleton. He was active with the Denver Area VMS. Dr. Swearingen is survived by his wife, Bonnie; two sons and a daughter; and eight grandchildren.

Daniel M. Thomas

Dr. Thomas (Auburn ’55), 83, Forest, Mississippi, died May 19, 2015. He worked for the Department of Agriculture from the mid-1970s until retirement in the mid-1990s. Earlier, Dr. Thomas was in mixed animal practice in Forest. His wife, Rose; two daughters, two sons, and four stepchildren; seven grandchildren and six stepgrandchildren; and two great-grandchildren and two stepgreat-grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to the Thomas Christian Education Endowment, c/o Forest United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 68, Forest, MS 39074.

Rolando P. Vasquez

Dr. Vasquez (Araneta ’69), 69, South Pasadena, California, died Jan. 15, 2015. A graduate of Araneta University in Manila, Philippines, he moved to the United States in the early 1970s, and began his career working in Los Angeles. In 1981, Dr. Vasquez established the North Figueroa Animal Hospital, a small animal practice in northeast Los Angeles. He also volunteered at vaccination clinics and worked with local organizations, assisting with spay-and-neuter programs. In 2006, the city of Los Angeles adopted a resolution in honor of Dr. Vasquez. He received a commendation from the mayor of Los Angeles for his contributions to the city and his dedication to pets in 2014. Dr. Vasquez’s wife, Lucy; a son and two daughters; and five grandchildren survive him. His son, Dr. Ronaldo J. Vasquez (Ross ’01), practices at North Figueroa Animal Hospital.

Obituary notifications

Please report the death of a veterinarian promptly to the JAVMA News staff via a toll-free phone call to 800-248-2862, ext. 6754; email to newsavma [dot] org (news[at]avma[dot]org); or fax to 847-925-9329. For an obituary to be published, JAVMA must be notified within six months of the date of death.