In Memory – July 31, 2025

Charlie A. Davis

Dr. Davis (Colorado State ’67), 82, Loveland, Colorado, died April 19, 2025. Following graduation, he worked in a mixed animal practice in Durango, Colorado. Dr. Davis subsequently practiced at what was known as Littleton Large Animal Clinic in Littleton, Colorado. He then moved to Monte Vista, Colorado, where he established a mixed animal practice.

In later years, Dr. Davis was active in clinical research and served as a contract field veterinarian for the Colorado Department of Agriculture and as a coordinator at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories. He was a member of the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine for eight years. Dr. Davis is survived by his wife, Barbara; a son; four grandchildren; and a sister. Memorials may be made to Colorado Wool Growers Association, P.O. Box 292, Delta, CO 81416.

Stephen K. Derwelis

Dr. Derwelis (Illinois ’66), 84, Albuquerque, New Mexico, died June 21, 2025. Following graduation, he served as a captain in the Air Force, caring for primates in the research laboratory at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. Dr. Derwelis subsequently established North Valley Veterinary Clinic, a mixed animal practice in Albuquerque. He later limited his practice to equine medicine at New Mexico Equine Inc.

Active in organized veterinary medicine, Dr. Derwelis was a past president of the former Albuquerque Veterinary Association, co-founded the former New Mexico Academy of Veterinary Practice, and was a past treasurer of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society. He also served on the board of directors of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and was a member of the New Mexico VMA (NMVMA). In 2011, the NMVMA honored him with the Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Derwelis is survived by his wife, Lillian, his children, and his grandchildren.

Charles E. Fuller

Dr. Fuller (Kansas State ’54), 94, Park Rapids, Minnesota, died June 25, 2025. Following graduation, he practiced at Valley Veterinary Hospital in Fargo, North Dakota. Dr. Fuller subsequently served in the Air Force until 1977. During that time, he was a command veterinarian, senior veterinary medical consultant, and coordinator in epidemiology for what was known as Air Force Logistics Command; chief of public health ecology and deputy manager in the health applications office at what is now known as NASA’s Johnson Space Center; and deputy chief of the Biological and Medical Science Division in the Directorate of Life Sciences at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research in Arlington, Virginia. He attained the rank of colonel and received several honors, including the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, and Air Force Longevity Service Award with three Oak Leaf Clusters.

Following his military service, Dr. Fuller established Town and Country Animal Clinic in Park Rapids and South Ridge Animal Clinic in Walker, Minnesota. He also served as an adjunct associate professor of environmental health at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Dr. Fuller was a member of the Minnesota and Texas VMAs, American Public Health Association, and Wildlife Disease Association as well as the American Legion.

Dr. Fuller is survived by three daughters, a son, six grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.

Callum W. Hay

Dr. Hay, 56, Odessa, Florida, died June 30, 2025. He was a 1991 veterinary graduate of the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Following graduation, Dr. Hay moved to the United States where he began his career in Nashville, Tennessee, subsequently working with BluePearl in Tampa, Florida. In 2020, he co-established Veterinary Surgical Services Inc., a mobile surgical practice, with his wife, Dr. Pamela K. Smith (Georgia ’92).

During his career, Dr. Hay also provided his services to animal rescue groups, including the former Big Cat Rescue organization in Tampa. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, he served as a mentor in veterinary surgery. Dr. Hays is survived by his wife, a son, his father, and two sisters. Memorials, in honor of Patrick Grogan, MD, may be made to the neuro-oncology department at Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 USF Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612.

John Howard Orchard

Dr. Orchard (Texas A&M ’66), 82, Beeville, Texas, died April 14, 2025. He owned Beeville Veterinary Hospital for more than 35 years. Dr. Orchard is survived by his son and three grandchildren.

Marshall V. Slingerland

Dr. Slingerland (Illinois ’57), 92, Macon, Georgia, died February 4, 2025. Following graduation, he established Altamont Veterinary Hospital in Altamont, Illinois, where he practiced until 1987. Dr. Slingerland then worked in Arizona for a few years before returning to Illinois, practicing at Effingham Veterinary Clinic in Effingham until 2012.

Active in his community, he was a past member of the Altamont Chamber of Commerce and the Effingham County Fair Board. Dr. Slingerland is survived by two daughters, a son, three grandchildren, and a great grandchild.

Please report the death of a veterinarian to the AVMA News staff via a toll-free phone call at 800-248-2862, ext. 6754; email at newsavma [dot] org (news[at]avma[dot]org); or fax at 847-925-9329. For an obituary to be published, AVMA News must be notified within six months of the date of death.

A version of this story appears in the October 2025 print issue of JAVMA