Obituaries
AVMA member
AVMA honor roll member
Nonmember
Robert L. Bay
Dr. Bay (Ohio State ’44), 97, Delta, Ohio, died March 25, 2017. He practiced mixed animal medicine in Delta for 44 years. Dr. Bay was a member of the Ohio VMA.
Active in his community, he served on the Delta School and Park boards and Fulton County Fair Foundation, and was a member of the Delta Rotary Club, Delta Chamber of Commerce, and Delta City Council. Dr. Bay was inducted into the Fulton County Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1984, was named Delta Citizen of the Year in 1990, and received the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District Award in 2015. An Army veteran of World War II, he was a member of the Delta American Legion.
Dr. Bay is survived by two sons, a daughter, six grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Delta United Methodist Church, 101 Northwood Drive, Delta, OH 43515, or The Open Door of Delta Inc. (a nonprofit helping people in need become self-sufficient) at 104 Monroe St., Delta, OH 43515.
Raymond O. Benson
Dr. Benson (Minnesota ’66), 92, Tulsa, Oklahoma, died Jan. 21, 2017. Following graduation, he established a mixed animal practice in Clarissa, Minnesota. After earning a master’s in science at the University of Minnesota in 1970, Dr. Benson taught at Washington State University for four years.
He then returned to Minnesota to practice primarily small animal medicine in Hermantown. Dr. Benson later taught at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine for almost 20 years, focusing on orthopedic surgery.
His two children, four grandchildren, and a great-grandchild survive him. Dr. Benson’s brother-in-law, Dr. Al Anderson (Minnesota ’66), is a veterinarian in Tennessee. Memorials may be made to St. Adrian Catholic Church, 512 Maine Ave., Adrian, MN 56110.
Roger E. Brannian
Dr. Brannian (Iowa State ’72), 69, Ankeny, Iowa, died Feb. 3, 2017. He was a veterinary medical officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Ames, Iowa. Prior to that, Dr. Brannian served as head veterinarian at the Kansas City Zoo in Kansas City, Missouri, for 12 years. Early in his career, he practiced small animal medicine in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota.
Dr. Brannian was a diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine. His wife, Deborah, and a son survive him. Memorials may be made to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, 5452 NE 22nd St., Des Moines, IA 50313.
Michelle L. Gorbutt-Pascarelli
Dr. Gorbutt-Pascarelli (Virginia-Maryland ’00), 42, Savoy, Massachusetts, died Feb. 26, 2017. A small animal veterinarian, she practiced at Greylock Animal Hospital in North Adams, Massachusetts. Dr. Gorbutt-Pascarelli volunteered at the Berkshire Humane Society for more than 10 years. Earlier, she worked at Wood Hill Veterinary Clinic in Chatham, New York.
Active in canine sports, including agility and flyball, Dr. Gorbutt-Pascarelli was part of the North American Flyball Association National Championship teams in 2012 and 2013. She is survived by her husband, Dan, and a daughter. Dr. Gorbutt-Pascarelli’s brother, Dr. Ryan K. Gorbutt (St. Matthew’s ’09), is a small animal veterinarian in Naples, Florida.
Memorials may be made to PopCares Inc. (a nonprofit helping cancer patients) at P.O. Box 482, Williamstown, MA 01267, or Berkshire Humane Society, 214 Barker Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201.
Jerry C. Haughn
Dr. Haughn (Ohio State ’69), 73, Chandler, Texas, died March 8, 2017. Following graduation, he served two years in the Army Veterinary Corps, attaining the rank of captain. Dr. Haughn then returned to Ohio, where he was a partner in a mixed animal practice in Leipsic until 1978. He subsequently moved to McAllen, Texas, practicing mixed animal medicine until 1982, when he joined North 23rd Street Veterinary Clinic, a small animal practice. Dr. Haughn retired in 2009. He was a member of the Texas and Valley VMAs.
Dr. Haughn is survived by his wife, Nancy; a daughter and a son; and three grandchildren. His daughter and son-in-law, Drs. Melinda A. Hill (Texas A&M ’97) and John C. Hill (Texas A&M ’97), are small animal practitioners in Grapevine, Texas.
Paul J. Hirt
Dr. Hirt (Ohio State ’61), 87, Greensburg, Indiana, died March 6, 2017. A mixed animal veterinarian, he began his career at the Greensburg Veterinary Clinic. Dr. Hirt later co-established the Tri County Veterinary Clinic in Batesville, Indiana. He also raised Angus cattle. Dr. Hirt served 26 years on the Decatur County Animal Control Board and was a member of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. In 1994, the Indiana Beef Cattle Association awarded him the Friend of the Beef Industry Award, and, in 2017, he received the Historic Indiana Angus Herd Award. Dr. Hirt was active with the 4-H Club and the Decatur County Fair. He served in the Army during the Korean War.
Dr. Hirt’s two sons, four daughters, 11 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Decatur County Animal Control, 1635 W. Park Road, Greensburg, IN 47240.
Mira J. Leslie
Dr. Leslie (Virginia-Maryland ’94), 61, Seattle, died March 10, 2017. She most recently served as a veterinary public health epidemiologist with the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture in Abbotsford.
Following graduation and until 2002, Dr. Leslie worked for the Arizona Department of Health Services. During that time, she earned a master’s in public health from the University of Arizona (2000), worked as an epidemiologist, and eventually became the state’s public health veterinarian. Dr. Leslie was also an adjunct instructor in veterinary sciences at the University of Arizona. From 2002-2006, she was with the Washington State Department of Health, serving as senior epidemiologist and state public health veterinarian. Dr. Leslie also served as an adjunct associate professor at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She joined the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture in 2007.
Dr. Leslie was a longtime member of the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians and a past chair of the Rabies Compendium Committee. She was also a member of the Arizona VMA, receiving the association’s Veterinary Profession Service Award in 2002.
Dr. Leslie was active with the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action and Freedom Project Seattle. She is survived by her mother and two brothers. Memorials may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union, c/o Gift Processing Department, 125 Broad St., 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP Development Department, 4805 Mount Hope Drive, Baltimore MD 21215; or Doctors Without Borders USA, P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741.
Glenn R. Pape
Dr. Pape (Texas A&M ’78), 61, San Marcos, Texas, died Nov. 7, 2016. A mixed animal veterinarian, he owned King’s Highway Animal Clinic in San Marcos. Dr. Pape is survived by his wife, Barbara, and a son.
Memorials may be made to National Brain Tumor Society, 55 Chapel St., Suite 200, Newton, MA 02458.
Sandra L. Parker
Dr. Parker (Texas A&M ’81), 60, Simonton, Texas, died Feb. 26, 2017. A mixed animal practitioner in Simonton, she focused on equine medicine for more than 20 years. Dr. Parker was a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
Her husband, Tom Harkness; two stepsons; and four grandchildren survive her. Memorials may be made to the AAEP Foundation, 4033 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511; Simonton Community Church, 9703 FM 1489, Simonton Road, Simonton, TX 77476; or American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.
Allan J. Paul
Dr. Paul (Illinois ’77), 65, Champaign, Illinois, died Feb. 12, 2017. From 1980-2015, he was a member of the faculty at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. During that time, Dr. Paul served as associate dean for public engagement, professor of pathobiology, section head for parasitology in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, companion animal extension veterinarian, and executive secretary of the college’s alumni association.
He received the University of Illinois Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching Award in 1993, the veterinary college’s All-Around Excellence Award in 2000, and the Dr. Erwin Small Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2016. Prior to joining the university, Dr. Paul practiced small animal medicine in Madison, Wisconsin, and served as a research scientist at the University of Wisconsin.
He is survived by his longtime companion, Jeanne Schacht; a daughter and a son; and two grandchildren. Memorials may be made to VetMed Achievement Fund/Dr. Paul, 3505 Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana, IL 61802.
Robert F. Schneider
Dr. Schneider (Iowa State ’43), 97, Postville, Iowa, died Oct. 7, 2016. He practiced mixed animal medicine in Postville prior to retirement in 1986. Dr. Schneider served on the Postville Community School and Hospital boards, Postville Telephone Company and State Bank boards, and Allamakee County Assessor’s Board of Review. He was a member of the American Legion and volunteered with Meals on Wheels.
Dr. Schneider’s wife, Bernice; two sons and two daughters; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Postville Good Samaritan Center, 400 Hardin Drive, Postville, IA 52162, or St. Paul Lutheran Church, 116 E. Military Road, Postville, IA 52162.