Obituaries

AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

Nonmember

Donald L. Burton

Dr. Burton (Ohio State ’80), 63, Dublin, Ohio, died Nov. 18, 2014. He owned Animal Care Unlimited, a small animal, avian, and exotic animal practice in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Burton also served as chief veterinarian and executive director at the Ohio Wildlife Center, a rehabilitation center and hospital that he founded in Columbus in 1984. He was instrumental in establishing Suburban Commercial and Residential Animal Management, a humane wildlife control option using effective exclusion techniques.

Dr. Burton served as an adjunct associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and consulted and lectured for the Humane Society of the United States. He was recently named trustee emeritus at the Columbus Zoological Park Association after 30 years of service. In 1994, Dr. Burton was Columbus and Central Ohio’s Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year. He received The Ohio State University Alumni Association Citizenship Award for Outstanding Service to the Community in 2006.

The Eagle Habitat in the North American region of the Columbus Zoological Park and Aquarium was recently dedicated to Dr. Burton. He is survived by his wife, Susan, and two daughters. Memorials may be made to the Dr. Donald L. Burton Memorial Fund, c/o Ohio Wildlife Center, 6131 Cook Road, Powell, OH 43065.

Edward J. Dick

Dr. Dick (Illinois ’61), 77, San Antonio, died Dec. 24, 2014. A small animal veterinarian, he owned Lone Star Animal Hospital in San Antonio for more than 35 years. Dr. Dick also raised Suffolk sheep. He was a member of the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association, United Suffolk Sheep Association, and Bexar County VMA. Dr. Dick was also a member of the Bexar County 4-H Club. His wife, Nancy; four sons and a daughter; and seven grandchildren survive him. Dr. Dick’s son, Dr. Edward J. Dick Jr. (Texas A&M ’85), is a veterinarian in Seguin, Texas.

Danny A. Hudson

Dr. Hudson (Oklahoma State ’66), 74, Cary, North Carolina, died Sept. 17, 2014. A small animal veterinarian, he owned Northwoods Animal Hospital in Cary prior to retirement in 2005. Earlier in his career, Dr. Hudson worked for the United States Public Health Service in Atlanta and Las Cruces, New Mexico; practiced in Portsmouth, Virginia; and owned Mayfair Animal Hospital in Cary. He was a past president of the Cary Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow.

Dr. Hudson’s daughter and son survive him. His daughter, Dr. Melissa Hudson (North Carolina State ’93), owns Northwoods Animal Hospital. Memorials may be made to Transitions Health Care, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607; or Guiding Eyes for the Blind, P.O. Box 214, Pittsboro, NC 27312.

Ralph D. King

Dr. King (Georgia ’61), 82, Rockmart, Georgia, died Nov. 10, 2014. He owned King Animal Hospital, a mixed animal practice in Rockmart, for 40 years.

A past president of the North American Veterinary Community Conference and a member of the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association, Dr. King was named Georgia Cattlemen’s Veterinarian of the Year in 2005. Active in civic life, he was a past president of the Rockmart Chamber of Commerce and Rockmart Kiwanis Club, a former chair of the Rockmart-Aragon Hospital Authority, a charter member of the Joint Economic Development Commission of Polk County, and a member of Gideons International.

Dr. King was a veteran of the Army. He is survived by his wife, Shirley; a son and a daughter; and a grandson. Dr. King’s great-nephew, Dr. Travis Wright (Georgia ’08), is a veterinarian in Rockmart.

Robert M. Meister

Dr. Meister (Ohio State ’60), 84, Olmsted Falls, Ohio, died Feb. 2, 2015. He owned West Park Animal Hospital in Cleveland, where he practiced primarily small animal medicine for 36 years. Dr. Meister was a Navy veteran of the Korean War. His four daughters, two sons, and six grandchildren survive him. One daughter, Dr. Michelle M. Jones (Virginia-Maryland ’00), is a veterinarian in Lebanon, Virginia.

William C. Randle

Dr. Randle (Kansas State ’66), 72, Norman, Oklahoma, died Jan. 11, 2015. A small animal veterinarian, he owned Town & Country Veterinary Hospital in Duncan, Oklahoma, for more than 20 years. Dr. Randle later practiced at Swaim Serum in Oklahoma City. He was a past president of the Duncan Jaycees and the Stephens County chapter of the American Red Cross, served on the Duncan Regional Hospital board of directors, and was active with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America.

Dr. Randle is survived by his wife, Paula; three children; and four grandchildren. Memorials may be made to William Charles Randle Memorial Fund, KSU Foundation, 2323 Anderson Ave., Manhattan, KS 66502.

Hersel H. Robertson

Dr. Robertson (Missouri ’53), 91, Higginsville, Missouri, died Dec. 6, 2014. He owned Robertson Veterinary Clinic, a mostly large animal practice in Higginsville, for 45 years. Dr. Robertson also served as a nutrition consultant. He was a member of the Missouri VMA, Missouri Academy of Veterinary Medicine, and International Academy of Preventive Medicine. In 1975, Dr. Robertson was named Missouri Veterinarian of the Year.

Active in civic life, he served two terms as mayor of Higginsville and was a past member of the Higginsville School Board. Dr. Robertson was a 2nd lieutenant in the Army Air Corps during World War II and a member of the American Legion. He is survived by two sons and three daughters, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Robert L. Schricker

Dr. Schricker (Iowa State ’52), 86, New Oxford, Pennsylvania, died Oct. 19, 2014. He was a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists.

Darrell D. Sharp

Dr. Sharp (Kansas State ’58), 87, San Bernardino, California, died Dec. 11, 2014.

Albert E. Smith

Dr. Smith (Pennsylvania ’76), 70, Charlottesville, Virginia, died Feb. 20, 2015. He co-owned and served as partner at several small animal practices in the Charlottesville area prior to retirement in 2013. Dr. Smith helped establish and was a past president of the Virginia Academy of Small Animal Medicine. He also co-founded an emergency veterinary hospital in Virginia’s Albemarle County. Dr. Smith served on the board of directors of the American Red Cross for three years.

He is survived by his wife, Finlay, and two sons. Memorials may be made to the Memorial Fund, Campbell Memorial Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 18, Weems, VA 22576.

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