Obituaries

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David J. Cason

Dr. Cason (Oklahoma State ’81), 59, Wagoner, Oklahoma, died Aug. 7, 2014. He and his wife, Dr. Glynda Cason (Oklahoma State ’80), co-owned Cason Animal Hospital, a mixed animal practice in Wagoner. Dr. Cason was a member of the Oklahoma VMA and secretary of Wagoner Masonic Lodge #98. His wife and two children survive him. Memorials toward the building fund may be made to Okay United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 147, Okay, OK 74446.

James E. Cates

Dr. Cates (Texas A&M ’53), 86, Conroe, Texas, died July 30, 2014. A mixed animal veterinarian, he owned Conroe Veterinary Clinic from 1961 until retirement in 1983. Earlier, Dr. Cates worked in Tomball, Texas, caring for animals throughout Montgomery County. During his career, he also served as an inspector for the Department of Agriculture.

Dr. Cates was a past president of the Montgomery County VMA and a former veterinary manager of the Montgomery County Emergency Clinic, and he served as veterinarian for the Montgomery County Fair Association. Active in civic life, he was a Conroe City municipal judge from 1994-2010 and a past president of the Conroe Noon Lions Club. Dr. Cates was named Lion of the Year in 1975 and a Melvin Jones fellow in 1994.

Dr. Cates served in the Army during the Korean War. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ladoris; a son and four daughters; 13 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren. His daughter, Dr. Mary F. Dodson (Texas A&M ’94), is a small animal veterinarian in Alpine, Texas. Dr. Cates’ grandson, Zachary Dodson, is a third-year student at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. Memorials may be made to Texas Lions Camp, P.O. Box 290247, Kerrville, TX 78029; or Conroe Noon Lions Club, P.O. Box 1135, Conroe, TX 77305.

Warren A. Criswell

Dr. Criswell (Texas A&M ’55), 89, Bay City, Texas, died July 14, 2014. He owned a mostly small animal practice in Bay City for more than 50 years. Dr. Criswell was a member of the Matagorda County Fair and Livestock Association. He served on the Bay City Independent School District Appraisal Board for 25 years and was a member of the Bay City Lions Club. In 2007, Dr. Criswell was named Bay City Chamber of Commerce’s Man of the Year. He was a past recipient of the Lions Club International Foundation’s Melvin Jones Fellowship.

Dr. Criswell served in the Marine Corps during World War II, attaining the rank of first lieutenant. He is survived by his daughter, two sons, and a granddaughter.

Jack D. Douglas

Dr. Douglas (Colorado State ’50), 87, Colusa, California, died Sept. 4, 2014. He practiced at Vacaville Animal Care Center in Vacaville, California, prior to retirement in 1986. Earlier in his career, Dr. Douglas served in the Air Force, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. During that time, he did medical research at several duty stations, including the former Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Douglas’ wife, Mary; three daughters and a son; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren survive him.

Richard W. Fish

Dr. Fish (Kansas State ‘55), 83, Cosby, Missouri, died June 26, 2014. He was the founder of Grassland Veterinary Clinic, a large animal practice in Granton, Wisconsin. Dr. Fish began his career as a veterinarian for the state of Wisconsin in Marinette. He then served as chief staff veterinarian for the Wisconsin Feeder Pig Marketing Cooperative in Francis Creek, Wisconsin. Dr. Fish next worked for Fromm Laboratories in Grafton, Wisconsin, before moving to Granton in 1980. In retirement, he served once again as a veterinarian for the state of Wisconsin.

Dr. Fish was a member of the Wisconsin and Northeastern Wisconsin VMAs. He is survived by his wife, Sally; four sons; 12 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to The Salvation Army, 2740 Arsenal St., St. Louis, MO 63118; or Heartland’s Hands of Hope Hospice, 137 N. Belt Highway, St. Joseph, MO 64506.

Harvey C. Foland

Dr. Foland (Colorado State ’52), 93, Union, West Virginia, died June 4, 2014. He practiced mixed animal medicine in West Virginia’s Monroe County prior to retirement in 1994. Dr. Foland served two terms on the Monroe County Board of Education, was the charter president of the Union Lions Club, and was a member of the Rotary Club. He served in the Army during World War II, attaining the rank of second lieutenant. Dr. Foland received several military honors, including the Bronze Star Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster and Good Conduct Medal. His son, Dr. Troy H. Foland (Georgia ’86), a veterinarian in Maryland, and three grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.

Donald A. Gable

Dr. Gable (Ohio State ’60), 78, St. Joseph, Missouri, died Aug. 13, 2014. He was a past director of animal feed research with the Food and Drug Administration in Rockville, Maryland. Dr. Gable is survived by his wife, Norine; two daughters and a son; and three grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Three Angels Seventh-day Adventist Church, 5302 Mitchell Ave., St. Joseph, MO 64507.

John M. Gambardella Sr.

Dr. Gambardella (Oklahoma State ’53), 92, Branford, Connecticut, died May 31, 2014. A small animal practitioner, he established East Shore Animal Hospital in Branford in 1958. Earlier in his career, Dr. Gambardella practiced in East Haven, Connecticut. A past president of Animal Haven (an organization for homeless animals) and a member of the Connecticut VMA, he was honored by Tufts University for his efforts toward the establishment of the university’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Gambardella was an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II and received two Purple Heart medals. Active in civic life, he was a past president of the Branford Lions Club and a past recipient of the United Way Gold Award.

Dr. Gambardella’s wife, Nina; six children; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren survive him. His son, Dr. Paul C. Gambardella (Pennsylvania ’72), is a small animal practitioner in Paramus, New Jersey. Memorials may be made to the Connecticut Hospice, 100 Double Beach Road, Branford, CT 06405.

Walter E. Long

Dr. Long (Colorado State ’56), 87, Hastings, Nebraska, died June 30, 2014. He began his career in private practice in Burwell, Nebraska. In 1968, Dr. Long was appointed the first division head of the new veterinary technology program at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, where he remained until retirement as professor emeritus in 1990. During his tenure, he helped develop the program, which became one of the first in the country to be accredited by the AVMA.

Dr. Long was a past president of what was known as the Association of Animal Technician Educators. He served as Nebraska’s alternate delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates from 1987-1993, then as delegate from 1993-1996. Dr. Long was a member of the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators, National FFA Organization, and 4-H Club. In 1987, he was named Nebraska Veterinarian of the Year. The Dr. Walter Long Veterinary Technology Teaching Clinic at NCTA is named in his honor.

Dr. Long served in the Navy during World War II. He is survived by his wife, Judie; a son and two daughters; and three grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Berean Bible Church, 316 N. Lexington Ave., Hastings, NE 68901; Christian Veterinary Mission, 19303 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98133; or Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture Scholarship Fund (for veterinary technician students), 404 E. 7th St., Curtis, NE 69025.

Ross S. Montgomery

Dr. Montgomery (Colorado State ’83), 58, Ocala, Florida, died July 7, 2014. He practiced equine medicine in Wellington, Florida, from the late 1980s into the 1990s. Earlier in his career, Dr. Montgomery was a mixed animal practitioner in Culpeper, Virginia.


Obituary notifications

Please report the death of a veterinarian promptly to the JAVMA News staff via a toll-free phone call at 800-248-2862, ext. 6754; email at newsatavma [dot] org (news[at]avma[dot]org); or fax at 847-925-9329.

For an obituary to be published, JAVMA must be notified within six months of the date of death.