Obituaries

Dr. Saul T. Wilson Jr., a visionary leader in the control and eradication of animal diseases and a respected academician at the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, died Feb. 1. He was 87.

"The College of Veterinary Medicine is mourning the loss of another veterinary trailblazer, Professor Emeritus Dr. Saul T. Wilson, Jr. He has ended his earthly journey of love, commitment, and dedication to Tuskegee University, but the impact he has made locally, nationally, and globally is so significant, that his name will be forever remembered and noted in history as one of the greatest in veterinary medicine," CVM Dean Ruby L. Perry said in a statement.

Dr. Wilson was a member of the first preveterinary medicine class at Tuskegee Institute—now Tuskegee University—and was among the second class of Tuskegee veterinary college (then veterinary school) graduates. He told JAVMA News during a 2010 interview that he had not met a black veterinarian prior to enrolling at Tuskegee. "I did not know any existed. I had never seen one," he said.

After graduating from Tuskegee in 1950, Dr. Wilson began his career with the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Industries, which later became part of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, as a field veterinarian and one of the country's first African-American public practice veterinarians.

He worked on the Mexico-U.S. Foot-and-Mouth Disease Eradication Commission. It was his leadership, expertise, and dedication, along with the empathy he showed Mexican livestock producers, that helped eradicate this dreaded disease when no one thought it could be done, and kept it from reinfecting U.S. livestock.

Dr. Wilson served in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps from 1952-54. A year later, he received his master's in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. He then returned to APHIS Veterinary Services, assisting in the eradication of several livestock diseases, including hog cholera and exotic Newcastle disease.

At APHIS, Dr. Wilson had many roles—from diagnostician to assistant administrator. In 1986, he received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive Service and the USDA Distinguished Service and Superior Service awards.

After retiring from APHIS in 1989, Dr. Wilson returned to his alma mater as a professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Tropical Animal Health. He retired from Tuskegee University in 2015 but continued to serve in a consultant role.

In 1991, Veterinary Services established the Saul T. Wilson Jr. Internship Program. The mentorship and career development program provides financial support and paid summer employment to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing biomedical science and veterinary medical careers.

Dr. Wilson is survived by his daughter, Adrienne; two grandsons, Ryan and Damien; one brother, Sherald; and one sister, Mary Elizabeth. He was preceded in death by his wife, Alva Marian.

AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

Nonmember

Richard R. Basom

Dr. Basom (Cornell '44), 94, Henrietta, New York, died Nov. 12, 2017. He practiced mixed animal medicine in Henrietta for more than 40 years. Following graduation, Dr. Basom served as veterinarian for New York's Monroe County for a few years. He subsequently established Basom Animal Hospital in Henrietta, later building a new hospital in Henrietta.

Dr. Basom is survived by his daughter. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 3049, Syracuse, NY 13220, or Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, 99 Victor Road, Fairport, NY 14450.

Lester L. Beck

Dr. Beck (Pennsylvania '60), 84, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, died Oct. 14, 2017. He was the founder of Loyalsock Animal Hospital in Williamsport. Dr. Beck was a member of the Pennsylvania VMA and the Texas & Blockhouse Fish & Game Club, chairing the club's Habitat Committee.

Dr. Beck is survived by his wife, Carol; a son; and two sisters. Memorials may be made to the Lycoming Centre Presbyterian Church, 656 W. Creek Road, P.O. Box 310, Cogan Station, PA 17728.

Gary W. Buckmaster

Dr. Buckmaster (Colorado State '79), 67, Grants Pass, Oregon, died Nov. 8, 2017. He was a mixed animal veterinarian.

Dr. Buckmaster is survived by his wife, Cortney, and his children.

Elizabeth J. Collins

Dr. Collins (Pennsylvania '41), 99, Saugerties, New York, died Oct. 4, 2017. She owned Kingston Animal Hospital in Kingston, New York, prior to retirement. Early in her career, Dr. Collins practiced in Manhattan.

Memorials may be made to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Headquarters and Training Center, 611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598.

Warren J. Davis

Dr. Davis (Purdue '64), 78, Pocatello, Idaho, died Jan. 29, 2018. Prior to retirement at the age of 60, he worked for the Idaho Humane Society in Boise. Following graduation, Dr. Davis practiced briefly in Illinois before serving two years in the Army. He subsequently practiced mixed animal medicine in several Indiana communities, later establishing a small animal practice in Valparaiso, Indiana. Dr. Davis moved in the late 1980s to Idaho, where he served as a relief veterinarian before working for the humane society.

He is survived by his wife, Sally; a son, two daughters, and two stepdaughters; four grandchildren and four step-grandchildren; and two sisters. Memorials may be made to Argos Dollars For Scholars, Argos Community Schools, 410 N. First St., Argos, IN 46501; First Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 4488, Pocatello, ID 83205; or American Cancer Fund, P.O. Box 7262, Hillsborough, NJ 08844, www.americancancerfund.org.

Robert E. Fahr

Dr. Fahr (Texas A&M '43), 100, Conway, Arkansas, died Dec. 16, 2017. A mixed animal veterinarian, he founded Paragould Animal Clinic in Paragould, Arkansas, where he practiced until retirement in 1983. Dr. Fahr was a member of the Arkansas VMA and was named Veterinarian of the Year in 1978. A veteran of the Army Veterinary Corps, he attained the rank of captain. Dr. Fahr served on the Paragould School Board and Arkansas Department of Health.

His wife, Gwendolyn; two sons and two daughters; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren survive him.

Frank C. Fraunfelter

Dr. Fraunfelter (Ohio State '60), 83, Spring Hill, Florida, died Feb. 5, 2018. He owned Hill Crest Veterinary Hospital in Canton, Ohio, where he practiced small animal medicine for 25 years prior to retirement. Following graduation, Dr. Fraunfelter served in the Air Force Veterinary Corps for almost 10 years.

He is survived by his wife, Carol; two sons and a daughter; five grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Memorials may be made to Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 6193 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill, FL 34606.

Gerald D. Gaines

Dr. Gaines (Georgia '54), 87, Marietta, Georgia, died Feb. 2, 2018. Following graduation, he served in the Army Veterinary Corps for 20 years, retiring as a colonel from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Washington, D.C. During that time, he earned the Bronze Star, Army Commendation, National Defense Service, Vietnam Service, Armed Forces Reserve, and Republic of Vietnam Campaign medals.

Dr. Gaines went on to establish the Whitlock Animal Clinic in west Marietta, where he practiced small animal medicine for 17 years. He subsequently served as a relief veterinarian prior to retirement in 2010. Dr. Gaines was a past president of the Cobb County VMA. His wife, Barbara; a daughter; three grandchildren; and a sister survive him.

Scott O. Galbreath Jr.

Dr. Galbreath (Auburn '46), 92, Natchez, Mississippi, died Oct. 22, 2017. In 1959, he moved to Natchez, where he established a mixed animal practice. Earlier, Dr. Galbreath served in the Army Veterinary Corps and owned a practice in Westfield, New Jersey. During the 1960s and 1970s, he also farmed cotton and soybeans, and, in 1979, he established Old South Winery in Natchez.

Dr. Galbreath was a charter member of the American Heartworm Society and was active with the Natchez Horsemen's Club. His wife, Edeen; five daughters and a son; 22 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39216; The Manning Family Fund for a Healthier Mississippi, 2500 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39216; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. BOX 758516, Topeka, KS 66675.

James E. Jordan

Dr. Jordan (Texas A&M '60), 85, Marshall, Texas, died Oct. 17, 2017. A mixed animal veterinarian, he owned Jordan Veterinary Service, a mobile practice. Following graduation, Dr. Jordan joined Sanders Veterinary Hospital in Marshall, Texas. The practice subsequently became the Sanders-Jordan Veterinary Clinic, and, later, the Jordan-Allred Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Jordan later sold the practice and established his mobile clinic. A member of the East Texas VMA, he served on the Marshall-Harrison Board of Health for 41 years, also serving on the board of directors of the Humane Society of Harrison County.

Dr. Jordan was a veteran of the Air Force. His wife, Gay; a son and a daughter; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a brother and a sister survive him. Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Harrison County, The Pet Place, 1901 Jefferson Ave., Marshall, TX 75670, or First Baptist Church, 405 W. Austin, Marshall, TX 75670.

Eugene A. Martin

Dr. Martin (Pennsylvania '51), 95, Luray, Virginia, died Dec. 12, 2017. He owned Page Valley Veterinary Clinic in Luray for 41 years, initially practicing large animal medicine, and, later, mixed animal medicine. Dr. Martin was a charter member of the Luray Volunteer Rescue Squad and a member of the Luray Volunteer Fire Department. He served in the Army during World War II.

His two daughters and three grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Page Free Clinic, 200 Memorial Drive, Luray, VA 22835; Luray Volunteer Fire Department, 1 Firehouse Lane, Luray, VA 22835; or Christ Episcopal Church, 16 Amiss Ave., Luray, VA 22835.

Michael G. Ramieri

Dr. Ramieri (Ross '02), 44, Sparta, New Jersey, died Jan. 24, 2018. A small animal veterinarian, he owned Advanced Veterinary Care in Franklin, New Jersey. Dr. Ramieri began his career at Nutley Animal Hospital in Nutley, New Jersey. He then served as a partner at Vernon Veterinary Clinic in Vernon, New Jersey, before establishing his own practice.

Dr. Ramieri was a member of the board of directors of the Dog Owners Gathering Society of Vernon. He is survived by his wife, Terri; two daughters and a son; his parents; and a brother and sister. Memorials may be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, P.O. Box 96929, Washington, DC 20090.

Otto E. Schroeder Jr.

Dr. Schroeder (Texas A&M '60), 87, Arlington, Texas, died Aug. 29, 2017. A small animal veterinarian, he owned Park Row Animal Hospital in Arlington for more than 25 years, prior to retirement. Dr. Schroeder was a veteran of the Army. His wife, Doris; two sons and two daughters; 12 grandchildren; a great-grandchild; and a sister survive him. Memorials may be made to Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX 77843.

Joseph A. Watkins

Dr. Watkins (Michigan State '66), 75, Englewood, Florida, died Nov. 18, 2017. He was a small animal veterinarian.

Nancy B. Watts

Dr. Watts (Colorado State '83), 72, Thornton, Colorado, died Jan. 8, 2018. She practiced small animal medicine in the Denver area.

Dr. Watts was a member of the Colorado VMA. She is survived by her daughter, three grandchildren, and four brothers.

Matthew H. Wykoff

Dr. Wykoff (Iowa State '46), 94, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, died Aug. 13, 2017. He practiced primarily small animal medicine in Missouri and Wisconsin. During his career, Dr. Wykoff also conducted research with the University of Tennessee-Atomic Energy Commission and what was known as Ethicon Suture Laboratories. During that time, he co-invented and patented surgical stapling devices.

Dr. Wykoff was an Army veteran of World War II and served as a captain in the Air Corps during the Korean War. He was a member of the American Legion and the Freemason Society. Dr. Wykoff is survived by his wife, Patrecia; three daughters, two sons, and four stepchildren; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Sierra Club, Sierra Club Member Services, 2101 Webster St., Suite 1300, Oakland, CA 94612, or Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc., Attn: Online Services, P.O. Box 97166, Washington, DC 20090.

Eugene A. Zeller

Dr. Zeller (Auburn '71), 70, New Orleans, died Oct. 7, 2017. He practiced small animal medicine for 46 years in uptown New Orleans, where he established Freret Veterinary Hospital, relocating in 2005 to Maple Small Animal Clinic. Dr. Zeller served three terms as president of the Southeast Louisiana VMA. He was a lifetime member of the Louisiana VMA and served on the board of directors of the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Dr. Zeller is survived by his wife, Carolyn; two daughters; five grandchildren; and a sister. His daughter, Dr. Emily Zeller Lemann (Louisiana State '05), practices at Maple Small Animal Clinic. Memorials may be made to the Dr. Walter J. Ernst Jr. Veterinary Memorial Foundation, Louisiana VMA, 8550 United Plaza Blvd. Suite 1001, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, www.lvma.org; Louisiana SPCA, 1700 Mardi Gras Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70114, www.la-spca.org/donate; or St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 5875 Canal Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124.

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