Obituaries

AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

Nonmember

David H. Baldwin

Dr. Baldwin (Pennsylvania '51), 93, Silver Springs, Florida, died Dec. 5, 2017. In 1952, he founded Vermont-New Hampshire Veterinary Clinic in Dummerston, Vermont, serving as a partner until 1982. Dr. Baldwin then moved to Tortola, British Virgin Islands, where he worked as a veterinary officer for the Department of Agriculture, later establishing Cane Garden Bay Veterinary Clinic on the island.

He was a past president of the Vermont VMA and was active with the Rotary Club, serving as president of the Brattleboro Rotary Club in 1963.

Dr. Baldwin served in the Army during World War II. He is survived by his wife, Catherine; a son and two daughters; 13 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and two sisters. Memorials may be made to Rotary Club of Tortola Relief Fund, c/o Lynette Harrigan, BVI Tourist Board, 1 W. 34th St., New York, NY 10001.

Mike C. Chesson

Dr. Chesson (Georgia '57), 87, Newport News, Virginia, died Nov. 1, 2017. He owned a mixed animal practice in Ivor, Virginia. Dr. Chesson volunteered with the International Mission Board in South Africa and Mexico. He is survived by his wife, Gail; two daughters and three sons; 14 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Gideons International, The Gideons International Processing Center, P.O. Box 97251, Washington, DC 20090, www2.gideons.org/donate; or to Galilean Home Ministries, P.O. Box 880, Liberty, KY 42539, https://galileanhome.org.

Gerard A. Dahl

Dr. Dahl (Minnesota '66), 75, Park River, North Dakota, died Nov. 24, 2017. A mixed animal veterinarian, he owned Park River Veterinary Clinic. Following graduation, Dr. Dahl worked in New Rockford, North Dakota. In 1968, he moved to Park River and joined Park River Veterinary Clinic, taking over the practice in 1996. Dr. Dahl was a member of the North Dakota and Minnesota VMAs, and an honorary member of the Walsh County Livestock Association and North Dakota Stockman's Association. In 2015, he was named North Dakota Veterinarian of the Year.

Dr. Dahl is survived by his brother and sister. Memorials may be made to Park River Bible Camp, 106 Solid Rock Circle, Park River, ND 58270, or Sons of Norway Lodge, Fairdale Community Center, Fairdale, ND 58229.

Mark P. Falk

Dr. Falk (Oklahoma City '92), 60, Taberg, New York, died Dec. 13, 2017. A small animal veterinarian, he owned Greystone Animal Hospital in Rome, New York. Dr. Falk was a member of the New York State VMS. His wife, Remonia; two daughters and three sons; four grandchildren; and three sisters and two brothers survive him.

John S. Gilpin

Dr. Gilpin (Purdue '66), 76, Wabash, Indiana, died Nov. 27, 2017. A small animal veterinarian, he owned Wabash Animal Hospital for 21 years prior to retirement in 2006. Prior to that, Dr. Gilpin worked in Illinois and California, and practiced at Highland Animal Hospital in Highland, Indiana. He was a past member of the Indiana VMA board of directors and served on the Wabash City Council and Wabash Redevelopment Commission. A past president of the Wabash Kiwanis Club, Dr. Gilpin received the Distinguished President Award in 1990 and was named Wabash Kiwanian of the Year in 2010. He was a captain in the Army Veterinary Corps and served a year in Vietnam, earning a Bronze Star.

Dr. Gilpin is survived by his wife, Linda; a stepson and a stepdaughter; six stepgrandchildren; and a brother. Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 110 Cass St., Wabash, IN 46992, or American Heart Association, 208 S. LaSalle St., Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60604.

Lewis A. Goldfinger

Dr. Goldfinger (Cornell '53), 89, Maplewood, New Jersey, died Nov. 28, 2017. He practiced small animal medicine in Farmingdale, New York, for over 50 years prior to retirement.

Dr. Goldfinger is survived by his wife, Helen; two daughters; and three grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Flower-Sprecher Veterinary Library, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY 14853.

Harold E. Haskins

Dr. Haskins (Missouri '70), 71, Diamond, Missouri, died Dec. 6, 2017. During his 47-year career in mixed animal medicine, he owned Animal Clinic of Neosho in Neosho, Missouri, and Animal Clinic of Diamond. Dr. Haskins also farmed and raised cattle and horses. He was affiliated with the Joplin Regional Stockyards for 31 years. A member of the Missouri VMA, he was named Food Animal Veterinarian of the Year in 2015. Dr. Haskins is survived by his wife, Jayne; two sons and a daughter; eight grandchildren; and three brothers and four sisters.

Memorials may be made to the Talkington Foundation, an organization committed to helping people with addiction problems, c/o Sy Werner, P.O. Box 663, Neosho, MO 64850.

Douglas G. Lucke

Dr. Lucke (Ohio State '66), 75, Fishers, Indiana, died Nov. 30, 2017. He began his career practicing mixed animal medicine in Mooresville, Indiana. In 1968, Dr. Lucke established an equine and small animal practice in the Zionsville area of Indiana. He bought Shadeland Animal Hospital in Indianapolis in 1973 and practiced small animal medicine until 2008. Dr. Lucke also co-founded the Animal Emergency Clinic in northeast Indianapolis and served as a partner at Geist Station Animal Hospital in Indianapolis for several years, beginning in the late 1990s. He was a past president of the Central Indiana VMA and a member of the Indiana VMA.

Dr. Lucke's wife, Carol Ann; two daughters and a son; six grandchildren; and three brothers survive him. Memorials toward the IU Foundation/Leukemia Research Fund, with checks notated to the memory of Douglas G. Lucke, may be made to IU Simon Cancer Center, c/o IU Foundation, P.O. Box 7072, Indianapolis, IN 46207.

Lyle Devon Miller

Dr. Miller (Kansas State '63), 79, Carrollton, Texas, died Dec. 27, 2017. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, he was professor emeritus of veterinary pathology at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Following graduation, Dr. Miller served in the Army for two years, attaining the rank of captain. After earning his master's (1969) and doctorate (1971) in veterinary science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he worked for the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as a veterinary medical officer. Dr. Miller then joined the veterinary faculty at Iowa State. He was active with the Humane Society for Boone County and Lebanon Rotary Club. Dr. Miller's partner, Etta Lou Schomer; a son and a daughter; five grandchildren; and a sister survive him. Memorials may be made to the Humane Society for Boone County, P.O. Box 708, Lebanon, IN 46052, or Centenary United Methodist Church, 910 Fordice Road, Lebanon, IN 46052.

Harold C. Neibert

Dr. Neibert (Pennsylvania '51), 95, York, Pennsylvania, died Dec. 30, 2017. In 1952, he founded Yorkshire Animal Hospital in York, where he practiced small animal medicine for several years. Dr. Neibert was also the founder of the former Fox Ridge Winery in York. He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving in the Battle of the Bulge.

Dr. Neibert's wife, Shirley; a daughter; and a grandson survive him. His daughter, Dr. Cynthia A. Neibert (Pennsylvania '84), practices at Yorkshire Animal Hospital. Memorials may be made to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of York County, 3159 Susquehanna Trail N., York, PA 17406.

Mark M. Ott

Dr. Ott (Iowa State '71), 70, Cherry Valley, California, died Oct. 13, 2017. An equine veterinarian, he practiced in the Riverside County area of California for 46 years. Dr. Ott was a lifetime member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. His wife, Pamela Ann; two sons; five grandchildren; and a brother and a sister survive him.

Arthur Richards Jr.

Dr. Richards (Pennsylvania '49), 91, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, died Dec. 18, 2017. A mixed animal veterinarian, he established Richards Veterinary Hospital in Grove City, Pennsylvania, in 1952. He was also the founder of Franklin Animal Clinic in Franklin, Pennsylvania, which he subsequently sold. Following his retirement from active practice in 1997, Dr. Richards served as a relief veterinarian until the age of 89.

A past president of the Penn­sylvania VMA, he was named Veterinarian of the Year in 1977 and was honored by the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Alumni Society in 1985. In 2002, Dr. Richards authored his autobiography, "Tale Waggings." He was a member of the Pine Township Planning Commission and was active with the Rotary Club and Shriners.

Dr. Richards is survived by his wife, Carolyn; four daughters and a son; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Slippery Rock Community Library, 316 N. Main St., Slippery Rock, PA 16057, www.slipperyrocklibrary.org; or Shriners Hospitals for Children, 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607, www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc/donate.

Lloyd P. Rutherford

Dr. Rutherford (Guelph '40), 100, Daytona Beach, Florida, died Oct. 14, 2017. He began his career practicing in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1952, Dr. Rutherford moved to Detroit, where he practiced until retirement in 1983. He is survived by his family.

Clement A. Schmitt

Dr. Schmitt (Pennsylvania '55), 89, Wheaton, Illinois, died Dec. 6, 2017. Following graduation, he established Schmitt Animal Clinic in Wheeling, West Virginia, where he practiced mixed animal medicine until 1994. During that time, Dr. Schmitt also served as veterinarian for West Virginia's Ohio County, helping to eradicate brucellosis and tuberculosis in cattle in the Ohio Valley. He also developed a rabies vaccination program for both Ohio and Brooke counties.

Later in his career, Dr. Schmitt founded Animal Urgent Care Inc. in Wheeling, serving as president and chairman of the board. A past president of the Ohio Valley VMA and Tri-State Kennel Club, he was a member of the West Virginia VMA and helped establish the Oglebay Park Good Zoo in Wheeling. Dr. Schmitt's wife, Marilyn; three daughters and three sons; 13 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a sister survive him.

John L. Scott

Dr. Scott (Texas A&M '69), 72, League City, Texas, died Nov. 6, 2017. A small animal practitioner, he most recently worked as a relief veterinarian.

Following graduation, Dr. Scott served as a captain in the Army Veterinary Corps. From 1971-82, he was a partner at Austin-Scott Veterinary Clinic in Texas City, Texas. He then owned Scott Veterinary Clinic in Texas City until 2002. Active in organized veterinary medicine, Dr. Scott was a past secretary of the Galveston County VMA and a past member of the Texas VMA Ethics and Grievance Committee, TVMA/TAMU-CVM Liaison Committee, and the board of directors of the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation.

He is survived by his wife, Cheryl; two daughters; five grandchildren; and a sister.

Memorials toward United Methodist Army Scholarships may be made to St. John's United Methodist Church, 8200 25th Ave. N., Texas City, TX 77591.

Richard C. Wilson

Dr. Wilson (Oklahoma State '72), 70, Chouteau, Oklahoma, died Sept. 3, 2017. He owned Bar W Small Animal Hospital in Pryor, Oklahoma, prior to retirement in 2016.

Dr. Wilson is survived by his wife, Karen; a daughter and a son; four grandchildren; and his mother.

Michael J. Zareski

Dr. Zareski (Ross '02), 46, Torrance, California, died Dec. 9, 2017. A small animal veterinarian, he owned Western Veterinary Group in Lomita, California.

Dr. Zareski's wife, four children, parents, and sister survive him. Memorials may be made to 4ever Foundation (providing for homeless pets in the community while finding them homes), 24260 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance, CA 90505, westernvetgroup.com/4ever_foundation.html.