Obituaries

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AVMA member

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Barry O. Barnes

Dr. Barnes (Iowa State ’51), 89, Des Moines, Iowa, died Oct. 8, 2014. He owned Ottumwa Animal Hospital, a mixed animal practice in Ottumwa, Iowa, from 1962 until retirement in 1985. Earlier in his career, Dr. Barnes practiced in Milford, Iowa. With an interest in improving animal husbandry in developing countries, he served on the board of directors of Heifer International for six years. Dr. Barnes helped establish and was a member of the Hospice of Wapello County board of directors for several years. He was also active with Habitat for Humanity. Dr. Barnes served in the Army during World War II. He is survived by his wife, Carol; three daughters and a son; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Heifer International, 1 World Ave., Little Rock, AR 72202; or Habitat for Humanity, 121 Habitat St., Americus, GA 31709.

Raymond W. Gustafson

Dr. Gustafson (Colorado State ’51), 89, Conrad, Montana, died Oct. 30, 2014. Following graduation, he established his first clinic working with the stockyards in Shelby, Montana. In 1953, Dr. Gustafson moved to Conrad, where he founded a mixed animal practice. He also owned a ranch on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, helping to eradicate brucellosis from animals on the reservation and in surrounding counties. During his career, Dr. Gustafson was a regulatory veterinarian for the Montana Horse Racing Board and a deputy state veterinarian for the Montana Department of Livestock; served as an American Quarter Horse Association judge; bred Texas Quarter Horses; and chaired the Montana Board of Environmental Health from 1992-1998. He was an honor roll member and a past president of the Montana VMA. Dr. Gustafson served in the Montana House of Representatives from 1961-1962; was a past member of the Conrad School Board; and authored the books “Under the Chinook Arch” and “Room to Roam.”

His five children survive him. Dr. Gustafson’s son Dr. Sid Gustafson (Washington State ’79) practices mixed animal medicine in Big Sky, Montana, and serves as the equine behavior educator at the University of Guelph. His son Dr. Barr Gustafson (Oregon State ’85) practices mixed animal medicine near Browning, Montana.

Robert T. Moore

Dr. Moore (Auburn ’78), 62, New Bern, North Carolina, died May 22, 2014. A small animal practitioner, he was the former owner of Oriental Village Veterinary Hospital in Oriental, North Carolina. Dr. Moore is survived by his wife, Hesta. Memorials in his name may be made to Agape Animal Rescue, 2624 Brookfield Drive, Midway Park, NC 28544.

Richard W. Moreland

Dr. Moreland (Texas A&M ’73), 71, Gatesville, Texas, died Oct. 12, 2014. In 1974, he established a large animal practice in Fort Gates, Texas, later moving it to Ater, Texas, where he worked for 40 years. Dr. Moreland is survived by his wife, Rose; a daughter and a son; and four grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Ater Cemetery Association, c/o Carmon Alexander, 605 CR 195, Jonesboro, TX 76538.

James J. Sheldon

Dr. Sheldon (Iowa State ’61), 76, Mesquite, Nevada, died Sept. 16, 2014. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, he founded JJ Sheldon & Associates, a feed yard consulting group, and Central Arizona Veterinary Laboratory in Casa Grande, Arizona, in 1973.

Following graduation, Dr. Sheldon practiced large animal medicine in Hinton, Iowa, before joining the Army Veterinary Corps. During his military service, he worked in the pathology division of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and attained the rank of captain. Dr. Sheldon later served as a partner at Plaza Veterinary Hospital, a mixed animal practice in Sioux City, Iowa; worked for Abbott Laboratories in Chicago; and served as a professor in the Department of Animal Pathology at the University of Arizona. From 1972-1973, he was a professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine. Subsequent to establishing JJ Sheldon & Associates, he consulted and did product evaluation for several chemical and pharmaceutical companies and owned cattle and feeding facilities.

His wife, Carolyn; a daughter; and four grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to the San Diego Zoo, Dr. James J. Sheldon Memorial Fund, San Diego Zoo, P.O. Box 120551, San Diego, CA 92112

Sophia A. Yin

Dr. Yin (California-Davis ’93), 48, Davis, California, died Sept. 29, 2014. A well-known animal behaviorist, she most recently consulted at VCA San Francisco Veterinary Specialists, made behavior-related house calls, wrote for several magazines, and provided her services to the Santa Barbara Zoo. Dr. Yin also lectured and taught workshops internationally and served as a behavior expert for shows such as “Dogs 101” on Animal Planet.

Following graduation, Dr. Yin went into private practice, returning to UC-Davis to study animal behavior. During that time, she also served as pet columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. On earning her master’s degree in animal science in 2001, Dr. Yin worked five years as a lecturer in the UC-Davis Animal Science Department.

She was a past president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and chaired its Committee on Communication. Dr. Yin also served on the American Association of Feline Practitioners’ Handling Guidelines Committee and the American Humane Association’s Animal Behavior and Training Advisory Committee. She authored “The Small Animal Veterinary Nerdbook,” “Perfect Puppy in 7 Days,” “How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves,” and “Low Stress Handling, Restraint, and Behavior Modification of Dogs & Cats.” Dr. Yin developed what is now known as the Treat & Train positive reinforcement dog training system. She served as founding writer and adviser for the Pet Health Network and received several journalism awards from the Dog Writers Association of America. She eventually formed her own company, Cattle Dog Publishing, to handle the educational materials she created.


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.