In Memory - April 1, 2022

AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

Student

Nonmember

James G. Aftosmis

Dr. Aftosmis (Ohio State ’65), 85, Newark, Delaware, died Nov. 11, 2021. He was in private practice before working for DuPont Stine-Haskell Research Center in Newark for almost 30 years. Dr. Aftosmis retired in 1994 as director of the facility. During his career, he also served as a racetrack veterinarian.

Dr. Aftosmis was a member of the Delaware VMA. His wife, Carol; two sons and a daughter; six grandchildren; and a sister and a brother survive him. Memorials may be made to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, 1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173.

Thomas L. Barber

Dr. Barber (Auburn ’58), 87, Littleton, Colorado, died Sept. 12, 2021. Following graduation, he joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, working at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Dr. Barber subsequently earned his master’s and doctorate in microbiology from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and worked at the animal disease research laboratory at the Denver Federal Center. He retired in 1985.

Dr. Barber is survived by his life partner, Helen Santilli; two sons and a daughter; and three grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Wild Animal Sanctuary, 1946 County Road 53, Keenesburg, CO 80643.

Donald R. Cihak

Dr. Cihak (Iowa State ’59), 87, Freeport, Illinois, died Feb. 2, 2022. Following graduation, he practiced in Dubuque, Iowa, until 1965. Dr. Cihak later practiced in Washington, Illinois, for 40 years until retirement. He served on the board of directors of the Illinois State VMA and the Woodward County 4-H Club. Dr. Cihak’s wife, Fran; two sons and a daughter; and four grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Central Illinois Riding Therapy, 305 Neumann Drive, East Peoria, IL 61611, or the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675.

G. Jay Crissman

Dr. Crissman (Ohio State ’74), 75, Elkins, West Virginia, died Nov. 19, 2021. Following graduation, he established Beverly Pike Veterinary Clinic, a small animal practice in Elkins. Dr. Crissman was also active with the Fairmont Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Fairmont, West Virginia, and the Randolph County Humane Society. A past president of the West Virginia VMA, he twice served as West Virginia’s delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates.

Dr. Crissman is survived by his wife, Karen; two sons and three daughters; eight grandchildren and two stepgrandchildren; three great-great grandchildren; and a brother and a sister. Memorials may be made to the Randolph County Humane Society, P.O. Box 785, Elkins, WV 26241.

Tiffany L. Delzell

Dr. Delzell (Iowa State ’93), 54, Jefferson, Iowa, died Jan. 29, 2022. She owned a practice in Gowrie, Iowa, until 2020. Earlier, Dr. Delzell served as a relief veterinarian in Gowrie and Fort Dodge, Iowa. Her husband, Dean; two daughters and a son; three grandchildren; her parents; and a brother survive her.

Louis J. Diluzio

Dr. Diluzio (Ohio State ’67), 81, Miami, died Aug. 18, 2021. He practiced small animal medicine in Miami. Dr. Diluzio is survived by his family.

Thomas S. Eshbach

Dr. Eshbach (Minnesota ’96), 59, Fredericksburg, Virginia, died Jan. 11, 2022. He owned TLC Home Veterinary Services, a house call practice. Dr. Eshbach is survived by his wife, Roseann, and two brothers. Memorials may be made to Lifepoint Church, 1400 Central Park Blvd., Fredericksburg, VA 22401, or the Stafford County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 140 Andrew Chapel Road, Stafford, VA 22554.

Lester E. Fisher

Dr. Fisher (Iowa State ’43), 100, Hayward, Wisconsin, died Dec. 22, 2021. From 1962 until retirement in 1992, he served as director of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where he began as the zoo’s first veterinarian in 1947. As director, Dr. Fisher focused on education, conservation, and animal welfare. He established the great ape house at the zoo, now known as the Dr. Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes. Dr. Fisher also founded Farm-in-the-Zoo, incorporating domestic farm animals and play-based learning stations. Earlier in his career, he served in the Army during World War II and had a private practice in Berwyn, Illinois.

Dr. Fisher was a past president of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians and was a past trustee of the Morris Animal Foundation. In 1994, he received the Order of Lincoln Medallion, Illinois’ highest honor for individual achievement. In 1996, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums honored him with the R. Marlin Perkins Award. Dr. Fisher is survived by two daughters, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Dr. Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 75 Remittance Drive, Department #92085, Chicago, IL 60675; Doctors Without Borders, 40 Rector St., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10006; or Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104.

James F. Fleming

Dr. Fleming (Illinois ’78), 68, Decatur, Illinois, died Oct. 19, 2021. During his career of more than 40 years, he established the Assumption Veterinary Clinic in Assumption, Illinois, and operated the Decatur Area Mobile Clinic. Dr. Fleming is survived by his wife, Lynette; a son and a daughter; a grandchild; and a sister. Memorials may be made to Christian County Animal Control, 300 S. Baughman Road, Taylorville, IL 62568.

Richard D. Hefley

Dr. Hefley (Oklahoma State ’87), 61, Wellington, Kansas, died Feb. 12, 2022. He owned Arrowhead Animal Clinic in Wellington for more than 30 years. Dr. Hefley was active with the Boy Scouts of America, serving as a Scout Master. His wife, Kim; two sons and a daughter; a grandchild; and a brother survive him. Memorials toward the Healthy Paws Fund or the Sarcoma Foundation may be sent c/o Cornejo Funeral Home & Crematory, 1030 Mission Road, Wellington, KS 67152.

Autumn Johnson

Johnson (Kansas State ’25), 21, Wasilla, Alaska, died Dec. 5, 2021. She was a first-year student at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. During her breaks from veterinary school, Johnson worked at the Tier 1 Veterinary Medical Center in Palmer, Alaska. She is survived by her parents, two brothers, and her fiancé. Memorials toward a scholarship for veterinary students may be made via contributions to jav.ma/AutumnJohnson.

Laura M. Makepeace

Dr. Makepeace (Kansas State ’89), 57, Hood River, Oregon, died Dec. 19, 2021. She owned Tucker Road Animal Hospital, a small animal practice in Hood River. Dr. Makepeace is survived by two daughters, a grandchild, and her mother. Her former husband, Dr. Thomas Gilliom (Purdue ’78), is also a veterinarian. Memorials may be made to Next Door, a community-based organization focusing on children and families, and sent to 965 Tucker Road, Hood River, OR 97031, or to The Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203.

Conrad E. McGlamery

Dr. McGlamery (California-Davis ’54), 94, Tubac, Arizona, died Sept. 27, 2021. He owned small animal practices in Tucson, Arizona, and Telluride, Colorado. Dr. McGlamery served in the Air Force during World War II. His wife, Joan; four sons; 13 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren survive him.

Bayne E. Miller

Dr. Miller (Georgia ’58), 89, Mocksville, North Carolina, died Jan. 23, 2022. In 1971, he established Davie Veterinary Clinic in Mocksville, where he practiced until retirement in 2003. Earlier in his career, Dr. Miller served for a few years as a veterinarian with the state of North Carolina and worked for 10 years in Mocksville prior to establishing his practice.

Active in his community, he was honored with the Mocksville Key to the City for his years of community service. Dr. Miller is survived by his wife, Emily; two sons; and four grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Davie County Public Library, 371 N. Main St., Mocksville, NC 27028.

John C. Reynolds

Dr. Reynolds (Cornell ’89), 58, Berkshire, Massachusetts, died Dec. 9, 2021. He owned Pittsfield Veterinary Hospital and Shaker Hill Pet Resort in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Early in his career, Dr. Reynolds worked in western New York and in New Jersey.

He served on the board of directors and provided his services to the Berkshire Humane Society and chaired the Pittsfield Animal Control Commission. Dr. Reynolds served in leadership roles with the Rotary Club of Pittsfield. His wife, Valeri; three daughters; his mother; and a sister and a brother survive him.

Lester Rogers

Dr. Rogers (Brandeis Middlesex ’47), 94, Siler City, North Carolina, died Aug. 27, 2021. He practiced small animal medicine in Siler City for 57 years prior to retirement. Dr. Rogers’ two daughters, a son, and a grandchild survive him. Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of the United States, 1255 23rd St. NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20037, or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 424 E. 92nd St., New York, NY 10128.

F.T. Satalowich

Dr. Satalowich (Kansas State ’61), 86, Columbia, Missouri, died Feb. 9, 2022. Following graduation, he served as a first lieutenant in the Air Force in New Mexico, Libya, and Germany. Upon his return to the United States, Dr. Satalowich earned a master’s in epidemiology and public health from the University of Missouri and completed a residency in global epidemiology at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington D.C. He then joined the AFIP.

During his 20-year career as an epidemiologist for the federal government, Dr. Satalowich worked for the World Health Organization as an epidemiology consultant to the Pan American Health Organization in South America and served as a remote sensing epidemiologist with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at the L.B. Johnson Space Center in Houston. He ended his military career as a lieutenant colonel in 1982. He later served as an epidemiologist and as state public health veterinarian with the Missouri Department of Health and was an adjunct professor in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Satalowich was a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. From 1993-99, he served on the AVMA House Advisory Committee, chairing the committee during that time. Dr. Satalowich was a past president of the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians and the Missouri VMA, helped establish and chaired the NASPHV’s Psittacosis Compendium, served on the NASPHV’s Rabies Compendium, and was Missouri's representative to the American Public Health Association. While serving as chair of the Columbia–Boone County Board of Health in Missouri, he engineered the passage of the no-smoking ordinance for the city of Columbia.

Dr. Satalowich received several honors, including the ACVPM Helwig-Jennings Award in 1999 and the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Alumni Recognition Award in 2003. He was also honored with the Governor’s Proclamation/Commendation for service to the state of Missouri. Dr. Satalowich is survived by two sons and a grandchild.

Roy A. Skinner

Dr. Skinner (California-Davis ’59), 92, Manhattan Beach, California, died Sept. 2, 2021. He is survived by his family.

Byron L. Wilson

Dr. Wilson (Kansas State ’67), 78, Georgetown, Texas, died Aug. 28, 2021. He served in the Army Veterinary Corps for 27 years, attaining the rank of colonel. Dr. Wilson was a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. His wife, Karen; two daughters; and two grandchildren survive him.

George P. Wilson

Dr. Wilson (Pennsylvania ’55), 94, Lewisville, Texas, died Dec. 13, 2021. Following graduation and after completing an internship at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, he joined The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, retiring as a professor emeritus in 1988. During his tenure, Dr. Wilson helped establish the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and served as chair of the Department of Anatomy.

A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, he was the first recipient of the ACVS Foundation’s Legends Award in 2005 and was also recognized as an ACVS Honored Mentor. Dr. Wilson is survived by his family.