Obituaries

AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

Nonmember

Walter C. Cash

Dr. Cash (Kansas State ’71), 68, Manhattan, Kansas, died June 29, 2015. A professor of anatomy in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, he was appointed to KSU’s Dr. Roy Walter Upham Endowed Professorship in Veterinary Medicine in 2010. Following graduation, Dr. Cash was in private practice for three years in Rockford, Illinois. He then joined the faculty of KSU CVM as a temporary instructor, eventually becoming a professor. During that time, Dr. Cash also earned a doctorate from KSU in anatomy, physiology, and pathology. He was a member of the Kansas VMA, American Association of Veterinary Anatomists, American Association of Anatomists, World Association of Anatomists, Society for Neuroscience, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Cash received what is now known as the Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award in 1980 and 2000, Merial Award for Teaching Excellence in 2005 and 2009, and KSU Professional Performance Award in 2007. In 2010, he was the recipient of the KSU CVM/KSU Veterinary Medical Alumni Association’s E.R. Frank Award.

Dr. Cash is survived by his wife, Trisha, and a daughter.

Ronald L. Davis

Dr. Davis (Iowa State ’61), 82, Coon Rapids, Iowa, died Sept. 21, 2015. Following graduation, he moved to Coon Rapids to begin his career in mixed animal medicine, eventually establishing Davis Veterinary Clinic. Dr. Davis retired in 2008. A veteran of the Army, he was a member of the American Legion. Dr. Davis’ wife, Carol; three daughters and two sons; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren survive him.

Keith M. de la Cruz

Dr. de la Cruz (Wisconsin ’02), 42, Alexandria, Virginia, died July 21, 2015. A small animal veterinarian, he practiced at AtlasVet in Washington, D.C. Earlier in his career, Dr. de la Cruz worked for the Caring Hands family of clinics in Virginia. He was a past president of the Northern Virginia VMA and secretary-treasurer of the Virginia VMA.

Diane Defenbaugh

Dr. Defenbaugh (Illinois ’79), 60, La Mesa, California, died Aug. 13, 2015. A small animal veterinarian, she practiced at the VCA Angel Animal Hospital in San Diego. Earlier, Dr. Defenbaugh worked at the Main Street Animal Hospital in San Diego. She was a member of the San Diego County VMA. Dr. Defenbaugh’s late daughter, Dr. Kathryn L. Defenbaugh (California-Davis ’13), was a small animal veterinarian in Chula Vista, California (see obituary, this page). Memorials may be made to Leader Dogs for the Blind, 1039 S. Rochester Road, Rochester, MI 48307.

Kathryn L. Defenbaugh

Dr. Defenbaugh (California-Davis ’13), 29, La Mesa, California, died Aug. 13, 2015. A small animal veterinarian, she practiced at the Banfield Pet Hospital in Chula Vista, California. Earlier, Dr. Defenbaugh worked for an emergency pet hospital in La Mesa. She was a member of the San Diego County VMA. Dr. Defenbaugh’s late mother, Dr. Diane Defenbaugh (Illinois ’79), was a small animal veterinarian in San Diego (see obituary, this page). Memorials may be made to Leader Dogs for the Blind, 1039 S. Rochester Road, Rochester, MI 48307.

Raymond J. Diemer

Dr. Diemer (Minnesota ’67), 72, Windom, Minnesota, died Aug. 26, 2015. He was a partner at Cottonwood and Slayton Veterinary clinics in Windom, where he practiced primarily large animal medicine until retirement in the late 1990s. Earlier in his career, Dr. Diemer worked in Minnesota at Minneota and Arlington. His wife, Sharon; a son and a daughter; and four grandchildren survive him.

David S. Engstrom

Dr. Engstrom (Cornell ’64), 74, Branford, Connecticut, died July 24, 2015. He practiced small animal medicine at Merryfield Animal Hospital in Hamden, Connecticut. Dr. Engstrom is survived by his wife, Valerie; a daughter and a son; and five grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation Inc., 103 Vision Way, Bloomfield, CT 06002.

Norman T. Freid

Dr. Freid (Michigan State ’44), 94, San Rafael, California, died Sept. 25, 2015. Following graduation, he served in the Army Veterinary Corps for two years. Dr. Freid then moved to San Francisco, where he co-founded Monterey Pet Hospital, which later expanded into the Ocean Avenue Veterinary Hospital. He also established the Monterey Cat Hospital in San Francisco and helped found the city’s All Animals Emergency Hospital, serving on the emergency hospital’s steering committee. Additionally, Dr. Freid was affiliated with the Balboa Pet Hospital in San Francisco for a period of time. In retirement, he served as a consultant to Mission Pet Hospital in San Francisco.

Dr. Freid was named a Distinguished Life Member of the California VMA in 1999. He is survived by two daughters and two grandchildren.

William P. Kirkeminde

Dr. Kirkeminde (Kansas State ’50), 91, Stratford, Texas, died Oct. 11, 2015. He owned a mixed animal practice in Crossville, Tennessee, for more than 30 years prior to retirement. Earlier in his career, Dr. Kirkeminde practiced in Pikeville, Tennessee, and Wamego, Kansas. A past president of the Tennessee VMA, he was named Veterinarian of the Year in 1975.

Dr. Kirkeminde was an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II. He earned several honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. Dr. Kirkeminde’s two sons, two daughters, and four grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Bread of Life Rescue Mission, P.O. Box 1414, 281 W. Fourth St., Crossville, TN 38557.

Beth M. Mayer

Dr. Mayer (Wisconsin ’87), 57, Tucson, Arizona, died Sept. 19, 2015. A small animal practitioner, she served as a relief veterinarian in Tucson since 2009. Dr. Mayer began her career in Wisconsin, where she practiced in Madison, Greenfield, Summit, and Waukesha, before establishing Bark River Animal Hospital in Dousman. She moved to Arizona in 2008. Dr. Mayer is survived by her wife, Pamela Mitchell.

Daniel Morton

Dr. Morton (Colorado State ’83), 59, Columbus, Ohio, died Sept. 30, 2015. Following graduation and after earning his master’s in veterinary pathology from The Ohio State University in 1985 and a doctorate in veterinary medical science from the University of Illinois in 1990, he served as a clinical assistant professor and assistant director of the Office of Laboratory Animal Care at the University of Illinois. Dr. Morton subsequently moved to the Chicago area, where he worked as a senior research scientist for Baxter Healthcare Corporation, and, later, served as a veterinary pathologist for Abbott Laboratories. In 1998, he joined G.D. Searle, which became the Pharmacia Corporation in 2000. During that time, Dr. Morton served as assistant director and director of pathology. When Pharmacia was acquired by Pfizer in 2003, he relocated to Groton, Connecticut, and, later, to Cambridge and Andover in Massachusetts. Dr. Morton served as a research fellow and veterinary pathologist for Pfizer.

A diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and American College of Veterinary Pathologists, he was known for his expertise in toxicologic and comparative pathology and drug safety risk assessment, and his contributions to carcinogenicity assessment. Dr. Morton’s efforts to promote the development of alternatives to the two-year rodent carcinogenicity bioassay helped reduce the cost of drug development and the number of animals used for carcinogenicity assessment of drug candidates, and resulted in more accurate carcinogenicity bioassays.

He was a past president of the Society of Toxicologic Pathologists, past chair of the ACVP Examination Committee and Role Delineation Task Force, and a member of the ACVP Strategic Planning and Certifying Examination Redesign committees and ACVP Certification Examination Board. Dr. Morton was also a past chair of the ACLAM Examination Committee and a member of the college’s Training Program Recognition Committee. He received a Henry and Lois Foster Award for academic excellence in laboratory animal medicine from ACLAM in 1993 and a Presidential Award from ACVP in 2008 for his service to the college. In 2013, Dr. Morton was the recipient of the Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development Achievement Award for his body of work related to nonclinical carcinogenicity assessment, and, in 2014, he was honored with the Society of Toxicologic Pathologists’ Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the organization and to the advancement of toxicologic pathology. He was named an ACVP Distinguished Member in 2015.

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Laura D. Morton (Ohio State ’84), a veterinary pathologist with Aclairo PDG Inc., and two sons. Dr. Morton’s father-in-law, Dr. Garrett S. Dill (Ohio State ’61), is a retired veterinary pathologist in Columbus.

Edgar J. Mueller

Dr. Mueller (Missouri ’60), 84, Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, died Aug. 31, 2015. A mixed animal veterinarian, he began his career in Ste. Genevieve. Dr. Mueller subsequently worked in Florissant, Missouri; was a partner at practices in Festus and De Soto, both in Missouri; and taught veterinary technology courses at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Missouri. During his career, Dr. Mueller also conducted animal research at St. Louis University. He was a veteran of the Army and a member of the American Legion.

Dr. Mueller is survived by his wife, Joan; two daughters and a son; and five grandchildren. Memorials may be made to St. Agnes School, 30 St. Agnes Drive, Bloomsdale, MO 63627.

Walter L. North Jr.

Dr. North (Pennsylvania ’63), 78, Muncy Valley, Pennsylvania, died Sept. 10, 2015. He practiced bovine medicine in Pennsylvania’s Bedford, Blair, and Sullivan counties. Dr. North was a member of the American Embryo Transfer Association and Pennsylvania VMA. His wife, Jeanette; a son and a daughter; and three grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church Nordmont, P.O. Box 185, Muncy Valley, PA 17758, or Sullivan County Library, 206 Center St., Dushore, PA 18614.

Dane O. Petty

Dr. Petty (Texas A&M ’62), 84, Cumby, Texas, died July 20, 2015. He practiced and owned a dairy farm in Cumby for several years. Active in civic life, Dr. Petty was a past president of the Cumby Independent School District Board and served on the Cumby Telephone Board. His wife, Catherine, and a son and a daughter survive him. Memorials may be made to Cumby Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 734, Cumby, TX 75433, or No Kill Hunt County, 1303 CR 4208, Campbell, TX 75422.

F. Merrill Ranck Jr.

Dr. Ranck (Ohio State ’47), 91, Dubois, Indiana, died Sept. 7, 2015. He helped build and was in charge of Perdue Farms’ laboratory in Washington, Indiana, prior to retirement in 1988. Dr. Ranck began his career in private practice in Prospect, Ohio. He later served as director of a poultry diagnostic laboratory in Callahan, Florida. Dr. Ranck subsequently taught and served as campus laboratory chief at the Texas A&M University. From 1969-1981, he directed the Purdue University Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory’s Southern Indiana Purdue Agriculture Center in Dubois.

Dr. Ranck was an Army veteran of World War II. His wife, Maxine; two daughters and a son; five grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren survive him.

Marion C. Rankin

Dr. Rankin (Kansas State ’51), 89, Topeka, Kansas, died Sept. 21, 2015. Following graduation, he established Rangelands Veterinary Clinic in Ashland, Kansas, where he practiced mixed animal medicine for 33 years. He later focused on equine medicine, first working at a Thoroughbred farm in New Jersey, overseeing the reproductive program and veterinary care, and, then, moving back to Kansas to serve as the supervisory veterinarian for the state’s horse and Greyhound racetracks. Dr. Rankin retired in 1988. In retirement, he served on the Kansas Volunteer Veterinary Corps.

Dr. Rankin was a past president of the Kansas VMA and a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. He served in the Navy during World War II. Dr. Rankin is survived by his wife, Donna Jeanne; two sons and a daughter; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Dr. Rankin’s granddaughter, Dr. Maureen Rankin (Ohio State ’14), is a mixed animal veterinarian in Murietta, California. Memorials may be made to the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1700 Denison Ave., 103 Trotter Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506.

Jason B. Simpson

Dr. Simpson (Kansas State ’98), 42, Chetopa, Kansas, died Sept. 4, 2015. He owned Simpson Veterinary Clinic, a mixed animal practice in Chetopa. Dr. Simpson was a member of the Kansas VMA. His two children survive him. Memorials toward the Labette County High School FFA, Columbus FFA, or Shamrock 4-H may be made c/o Derfelt Funeral Home, 132 E. Pine St., Columbus, KS 66725.

Alton F. Smith

Dr. Smith (Texas A&M ’60), 79, Round Rock, Texas, died Sept. 13, 2015. Prior to retirement in 2005, he owned Bayshore Animal Hospital in Pasadena, Texas, and Hill Country Veterinary Hospital in Cedar Park, Texas, where he initially practiced mixed animal medicine, focusing later on small animals. Dr. Smith was a past president of the Texas VMA and a founding member of the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation. In 1984, he was named TVMA Equine Practitioner of the Year, and, in 1991, he received a Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Outstanding Alumnus Award. Dr. Smith was a veteran of the Army. He is survived by his wife, Darlene; four children; and eight grandchildren.

Ray D. Turner

Dr. Turner (Washington State ’56), 83, Lewiston, Idaho, died June 26, 2015. A large animal veterinarian, he owned Lewiston Veterinary Clinic prior to retirement in 1991. Dr. Turner was also veterinarian for the Lewiston Sales Yard. In retirement, he served on a task force in California, working to eliminate exotic Newcastle disease in poultry. A member of the Idaho VMA, Dr. Turner was one of two veterinarians named Veterinarian of the Year in 1990. He was a past recipient of the Idaho Cattle Association’s Cattleman-of-the-Year Award and received a plaque for his work with the Newcastle disease task force.

Dr. Turner was active with the 4-H Club and the National FFA Organization in northern Idaho. He is survived by his wife, Geraldine, a daughter and two sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Community Action Partnership Food Bank, 133 New Sixth St., Lewiston, ID 83501, or St. Joseph Family Hospice, 415 Sixth St., Lewiston ID 83501.

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.