Obituaries

AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

Nonmember

Rodger D. Atkins

Dr. Atkins (Oklahoma State '67), 76, Dalton, Georgia, died Aug. 17, 2018. From 1990 until retirement in 2000, he was an instructor in the Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Training Center in College Station, Texas. Following graduation, Dr. Atkins served two years in the Army Veterinary Corps. He then began a career in small animal medicine in Doraville, Georgia. In 1971, Dr. Atkins established a practice in Lilburn, Georgia. He joined the USDA in 1972, serving as a veterinary medical officer in Dardanelle, Arkansas, until 1990.

Dr. Atkins volunteered with the U.S. Forest Service and Boy Scouts of America. His wife, Melanie, and two sisters survive him. Memorials may be made to Boy Scouts of America, 1325 W. Walnut Hill Lane, Irving, TX 75015.

William B. Buck

Dr. Buck (Missouri '56), 85, St. Albans, Vermont, died Oct. 18, 2018. A diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology, he retired in 1997 as professor emeritus from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. Following graduation, Dr. Buck joined the Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. He later worked for the USDA's National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, focusing on research. Dr. Buck subsequently served on the veterinary faculties of Iowa State University and Mississippi State University before joining the University of Illinois in 1977.

During his tenure at the University of Illinois, he helped establish a strong research and residency program in veterinary toxicology and founded the National Animal Poison Control Center, sponsored since 1996 by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Dr. Buck co-authored the book "Clinical and Diagnostic Veterinary Toxicology." In 1985, the Society of Toxicology honored him with the Toxicology Education Award.

Dr. Buck is survived by his wife, Louise Marie; three sons and three daughters; 17 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and a brother and a sister. Memorials may be made to CarePartners Adult Day Center, 34 Franklin Park W., St. Albans, VT 05478.

Gordon R. Cunningham

Dr. Cunningham (Kansas State '68), 80, Salem, Oregon, died Nov. 27, 2018. A small animal practitioner, he began his career in California. In 1970, Dr. Cunningham bought Salem Veterinary Clinic, later owning Lancaster Pet Hospital and South Salem Veterinary Clinic. He also helped establish an emergency veterinary clinic in Salem. Dr. Cunningham was a member of the Oregon VMA and received an OVMA Award of Merit in 1991. His wife, Joanne; two sons and a stepson; and a grandchild and two stepgrandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Salem Friends of Felines, 980 Commercial St. SE, Salem, OR 97302.

Frederick F. Everhart

Dr. Everhart (Georgia '55), 92, Columbia, Maryland, died Nov. 19, 2018. He was the founder of Everhart Animal Hospital, a mixed animal practice in Baltimore. Dr. Everhart also established what is now known as the Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Catonsville, Maryland. He was a past president of the Maryland VMA. Dr. Everhart served in the Navy during World War II. His wife, Elaine; a son and three daughters; 11 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Best Friends Animal Society, 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, Utah 84741.

William J. Kelly

Dr. Kelly (Cornell '71), 70, El Cajon, California, died Aug. 22, 2018. He practiced small animal medicine in El Cajon. Dr. Kelly's daughter survives him. Memorials may be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, P.O. Box 96929, Washington, DC 20090.

Benjamin H. Konishi

Dr. Konishi (Colorado State '50), 92, Alamosa, Colorado, died Oct. 29, 2018. In 1952, he established Konishi Veterinary Clinic in Alamosa, where he practiced mixed animal medicine until retirement in 2016. Earlier, Dr. Konishi worked in Monte Vista, Colorado. He was a member of the Colorado VMA.

In 1997, Dr. Konishi was named San Luis Valley Cattleman of the Year. He received a CVMA 50-Year Service Award in 2000. In 2011, Dr. Konishi was a recipient of the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network's Asian American Hero of Colorado Award, and that same year, he was inducted into the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame. Dr. Konishi was active with the 4-H Club.

His wife, Bessie; two sons and a daughter; 11 grandchildren; and four brothers and four sisters survive him. Memorials, toward the Dr. Ben Konishi FFA Veterinarian Scholarship Fund, may be sent to Rogers Family Mortuary, 205 State Ave., Alamosa, CO 81101.

Gerald J. Kugel

Dr. Kugel (Michigan State '58), 85, Berrien Springs, Michigan, died Dec. 6, 2018. Following graduation, he practiced large animal medicine in Benton Harbor, Michigan, before joining the Army Veterinary Corps during the Vietnam War. Dr. Kugel served as a military veterinarian for 26 years, retiring with the rank of colonel. He subsequently worked for the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in California. During his career, Dr. Kugel earned a master's in public health from Tulane University and became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. He was a past executive board member of the American Association of Food Hygiene Veterinarians. Dr. Kugel's wife, Joan; and a brother and two sisters survive him. Memorials may be made to Berrien County Youth Fair, P.O. Box 7, Berrien Springs, MI 49103, or St. Gabrielle Catholic Church, 429 Rosehill Road, Berrien Springs, MI 49103.

Matthew P. Mackay-Smith

Dr. Mackay-Smith (Georgia '58), 86, White Post, Virginia, died Dec. 8, 2018. Following graduation, he joined the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, where he served as an intern in equine surgery and medicine, taught, and earned his master's degree in orthopedics and epidemiology. In 1968, Dr. Mackay-Smith co-founded Delaware Equine Center in Glasgow, Delaware. The practice later moved to Cochranville, Pennsylvania.

Known for his expertise in equine medicine, Dr. Mackay-Smith co-developed several surgical, medical, and diagnostic procedures. These included a surgical procedure to treat laryngeal hemiplegia; ideas about the identification of, treatment of, and prognosis for forelimb proximal suspensory desmitis; and pinch grafting. He also helped demonstrate that epistaxis is actually bleeding from the lung, was involved in developing interspinous injections for diagnosis and treatment of dorsal spinous impingement, and was an advocate for taking routine radiographs as part of the pre-purchase examination and the repair of hind limb condylar fractures in a standing horse.

In 1977, Dr. Mackay-Smith became the first medical editor of Equus, a magazine he co-founded, which provided information on equine care and management. He retired from practice in 2001 and from Equus in 2007. Dr. Mackay-Smith was a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, serving on the association's ethics, racetrack, education, pre-purchase, and farrier liaison committees. In 2008, he was designated a Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.

A lifelong equestrian endurance rider, Dr. Mackay-Smith was a past president of the American Endurance Ride Conference and a member of its Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the American Farriers Journal International Veterinarians Hall of Fame. Dr. Mackay-Smith was an avid fox hunter, hunting with Virginia's Blue Ridge Hunt and Pennsylvania's Cheshire Foxhounds for more than 70 years.

He is survived by his wife, Wingate; three daughters; and six grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 W. Cork St., Winchester, VA 22601.

Marilyn A. Maltby

Dr. Maltby (Oklahoma State '87), 63, Austin, Texas, died Sept. 23, 2018. She had practiced small animal medicine in Austin since the early 1990s. Earlier, Dr. Maltby worked in Lawton, Oklahoma. Her husband, John, and a brother survive her.

Jacqueline A. Nenner

Dr. Nenner (Tufts '92), 57, Pelham, New York, died Oct. 17, 2018. A small animal veterinarian, she practiced at the East Side Animal Hospital in New York City for more than a decade. In later years, Dr. Nenner scaled back her practice and focused on making house calls. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Patrick E. Hopper (California-Davis '83), a small animal veterinarian in Pelham; a son and two stepsons; her mother; and a sister. Memorials, toward the Foster Hospital for Small Animals, may be made to Trustees of Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Office of Development and Alumni Relations, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536.

Robin R. Parker Flowers

Dr. Parker Flowers (Texas A&M '84), 59, Navasota, Texas, died Aug. 2, 2018. During her career, she practiced mixed animal medicine in several states, including Texas, Florida, California, and Wyoming. Dr. Parker Flowers is survived by her husband, Kenneth Flowers; a stepdaughter; her mother; and a brother.

William A. Potts

Dr. Potts (Oklahoma State '53), 91, Mount Olive, North Carolina, died Aug. 18, 2018. He owned Mount Olive Animal Hospital prior to retirement in 1991. Dr. Potts was a Navy veteran of World War II. His wife, Ann; three daughters; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, 120 E. James St., Mount Olive, NC 28365, or Kitty Askins Hospice Center, 107 Handley Park Court, Goldsboro, NC 27534.

Daniel W. Schamper

Dr. Schamper (Illinois '59), 84, Galena, Illinois, died Nov. 18, 2018. He practiced predominantly large animal medicine in Galena for 54 years. Dr. Schamper was a member of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and Jo Daviess County Beef Association. Active in his community, he served on the Scales Mound School Board for eight years and was a longtime member of both the Elks Lodge and Knights of Columbus. Dr. Schamper is survived by his wife, Nancy; two sons and a daughter; four grandchildren; and a brother.

Kristin J. Strelec

Dr. Strelec (Illinois '03), 40, Grand Prairie, Texas, died July 9, 2018. She had owned Mira Lagos Animal Clinic, a small animal practice in Mansfield, Texas, since 2013. Earlier, Dr. Strelec practiced at I-20 Animal Medical Center in Arlington, Texas, and Angel Animal Hospital in Flower Mound, Texas. Her husband, Justin; a daughter and a son; her parents; and a sister survive her.

Wallace M. Wass

Dr. Wass (Minnesota '53), 88, Scottsdale, Arizona, died Nov. 8, 2018. Following graduation, he joined the Air Force Veterinary Corps, serving two years as base veterinarian with the rank of first lieutenant at Greenham Common Air Force Base in Newbury, England. Dr. Wass then practiced mixed animal medicine in Medford, Wisconsin. From 1958-63, he served on the veterinary faculty of the University of Minnesota as an instructor, assistant professor, and professor in charge of large animal clinics. Dr. Wass then worked a year as staff veterinarian for the medical research section at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York.

He subsequently joined the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where from 1964-83 he served as a professor and head of the newly established Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Dr. Wass then directed the veterinary college's international veterinary programs and continuing education for a year. From 1983-99, he was a professor of production animal medicine at the veterinary college. Dr. Wass went on to serve as an associate dean for clinical education at Ross University. From 2001 until retirement in 2004, he was director of clinical services for the Associated Humane Societies in Newark, New Jersey. In retirement, Dr. Wass served as a relief veterinarian.

During his career, he consulted for the U.S. Agency for International Development and for various educational institutions abroad, including Kasetsart University in Thailand and a veterinary school in Nigeria. Dr. Wass was a charter diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and a past president of the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians.

His wife, Doreen; four children; seven grandchildren; and a sister survive him. Memorials may be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ 85014.

John L. Wilkins

Dr. Wilkins (Pennsylvania '52), 95, Willow Street, Pennsylvania, died Nov. 11, 2018. Following graduation, he practiced mixed animal medicine in Muncy, Pennsylvania, for four years. Dr. Wilkins then moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where he established Circle Veterinary Clinic, a small animal practice. He retired in 1987, when his son, Dr. David Wilkins (Pennsylvania '86), took over the practice.

Dr. Wilkins was a past member of the board of directors of the Delaware VMA. He served in the Marine Corps from 1943-46 during World War II. Dr. Wilkins is survived by three sons, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Douglas R. Young

Dr. Young (Iowa State '71), 71, Snoqualmie, Washington, died Nov. 6, 2018. A mixed animal veterinarian, he owned Rainier Beach Veterinary Hospital in Seattle from 1984 until retirement in 2018. Prior to that, Dr. Young practiced at Twin Valley Veterinary Clinic in Dulap, Iowa, for several years. The Rainier Chamber of Commerce honored him with the Business of the Year Award in 2010 and the John L. O'Brien Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

Dr. Young's wife, Deborah; three children; and two grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Dream Ahead College Investment Plan specifying April Young College Fund, at P.O. Box 9661, Providence, RI 02940; Friends for Life Guild, specifying children's hospital cancer research, at 1505 SW 15th Place, North Bend, WA 98045; or Rainier Beach Merchants Association, specifying the student scholarship fund, at 3815 S. Othello St., Suite 100, P.O. Box 188, Seattle, WA 98118, rainierbeachmerchants.com.

Mark M. Young

Dr. Young (Washington State '60), 83, Fort Morgan, Colorado, died Sept. 25, 2018. He was a mixed animal veterinarian.