Obituaries

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AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

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Tracy L. Clark Sr.

Dr. Clark (Kansas State ’60), 84, Ames, Iowa, died Sept. 10, 2015. He was professor emeritus in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. A charter diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists, Dr. Clark taught animal reproduction courses, conducted research, and treated primarily large animals for more than 30 years. He was a veteran of the Navy. Dr. Clark is survived by his wife, Kay; three sons and a daughter; and nine grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA 50011.

John T. Droughton

Dr. Droughton (Georgia ’71), 71, Trenton, Florida, died Aug. 31, 2015. A small animal practitioner, he owned Droughton Animal Clinic in Miami for several years. Dr. Droughton later worked for Miami-Dade County, retiring in 2009. His wife, Judith, survives him.

Robert H. Featherston

Dr. Featherston (Kansas State ’55), 84, Tulsa, Oklahoma, died July 30, 2015. Prior to retirement a few years ago, he was executive vice president and chief medical officer at Pet’s Choice Inc. companion animal hospital in Bellevue, Washington.

Following graduation and after serving two years in the Army Veterinary Corps, Dr. Featherston returned to Kansas State University, where he served as an assistant instructor and earned his master’s in surgery and medicine. He then moved to Tulsa and began his nearly 40-year career in small animal medicine. Dr. Featherston also served as an adjunct professor at the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He joined Pet’s Choice Inc. in the mid-1990s.

A past president of the Oklahoma State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, American Animal Hospital Association, Association of Veterinary Informatics, and Tulsa VMA, Dr. Featherston was a past chair of the AVMA Judicial Council and the former AVMA Committee on Veterinary Medical Informatics. In 1984, he assembled a group of veterinarians from across the United States and co-founded the veterinary management study group VMG1.

Dr. Featherston received several honors, including the Oklahoma VMA William F. Irwin Award in 1973, Distinguished Service Award in 1993, and Veterinarian-of-the-Year Award in 1994; AAHA Charles E. Bild Practitioner-of-the-Year Award in 1986; and KSU CVM/KSU Alumni Association Alumni Recognition Award in 2003. In 2015, Veterinary Study Groups Inc. recognized him for his vision that inspired many years of practice success.

In civic life, Dr. Featherston was a past president of the Tulsa City-County Health Board and was active with the Rotary Club and Kiwanis. In 1992, the Robert H. Featherston Tulsa City-County Health Department Auditorium was dedicated to him. Dr. Featherston is survived by three daughters and seven grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Morris Animal Foundation, 720 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 174A, Denver, CO 80246.

Michael R. Herron

Dr. Herron (Purdue ’66), 74, College Station, Texas, died Aug. 28, 2015. He was professor emeritus in the Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Herron had a special interest in Greyhounds and sports medicine. He was a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Herron was a member of the Wellborn Lions Club. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Mary A. Herron (Purdue ’67), professor emeritus in the TAMU Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, and a daughter.

Heather W. Huneycutt

Dr. Huneycutt (North Carolina State ’15), 26, Bunnlevel, North Carolina, died Aug. 23, 2015. She was a captain in the Army Veterinary Corps. Dr. Huneycutt had a special interest in sled dog veterinary care, attending races in Norway and Alaska.

While in school, she worked on a dairy farm in Canada and was one of four students selected to travel to Africa to observe agricultural practices. An avid runner, Dr. Huneycutt competed in NCAA cross-country and other events. She is survived by her husband, Mark. Memorials may be made to the Dr. Heather Waterman Huneycutt Memorial Scholarship Fund, North Carolina Veterinary Medical Foundation, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607.

Charles K. Orrell

Dr. Orrell (Texas A&M ’66), 75, Grand Prairie, Texas, died Aug. 22, 2015. A small animal veterinarian, he owned North Grand Prairie Animal Clinic prior to retirement in 2014. Following graduation, Dr. Orrell served as a veterinarian in the Army, attaining the rank of captain. He subsequently began practicing in Dallas, where he eventually established Oak Lawn Veterinary Clinic, which later moved locations and became M Street Veterinary Clinic. Dr. Orrell founded his Grand Prairie practice in the late 1970s. His wife, Delores; a son and a daughter; and three grandchildren survive him.

Herbert N. Piper

Dr. Piper (California-Davis ’52), 94, Fresno, California, died Sept. 15, 2015. Following graduation, he moved to Fresno to begin his career in large animal medicine. In 1961, Dr. Piper established Cedar Veterinary Hospital, where he practiced until retirement, focusing on small animal medicine in later years. He also co-founded Veterinary Emergency Service in the area. Dr. Piper was a member of the California and Central California VMAs. He was also a life member of the Rotary Club of Fresno, serving as chair of its Environmental and Ecology Committee. Dr. Piper was an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II. He is survived by his wife, Gertrude; three daughters and a son; and nine grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Rotary Club of Fresno (toward their Allergy Free Garden Project), 2307 N. Fine Ave., Fresno, CA 93727, or Millbrook Presbyterian Church General Fund, 3620 N. Millbrook Ave., Fresno, CA 93726.

Charles F. Rossow

Dr. Rossow (Colorado State ’60), 87, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, died Aug. 17, 2015. He retired as a regional veterinary medical officer and supervisor for the Department of Agriculture in 2002. Earlier in his career, Dr. Rossow worked for Cutter Laboratories in California, Ralston Purina in Missouri, and Merck in New Jersey. He was a past president of the Carlisle Rotary Club and a past chair of the Carlisle Municipal Authority. Dr. Rossow served in the Army during the Korean War. He is survived by his wife, Ruth; two daughters and a son; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the St. Vincent DePaul Society, 152 E. Pomfret St., Carlisle, PA 17013.