In Memory – October 24, 2024

Harry W. Abair

Dr. Abair (Cornell ’75), 78, Cave Creek, Arizona, died March 6, 2024. He owned a practice in Edgewood, Maryland, for several years. Dr. Abair’s wife, Maryann; two sons and a daughter; eight grandchildren; and a brother and a sister survive him.

Kenneth H. Buchmann

Dr. Buchmann (Missouri ’58), 94, New Haven, Missouri, died September 20, 2024. He owned Animal Hospital of Washington, a mixed animal practice in Washington, Missouri, prior to retirement in 1995. Dr. Buchmann was a founding member of the East Central VMA and a lifetime member of the Missouri VMA. He served in the Army during the Korean War. Dr. Buchmann is survived by his wife, Cathy; five sons and two daughters; his grandchildren and step grandchildren; and his great-grandchildren and step great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Holy Family Catholic Church, 124 Holy Family Church Road, New Haven, MO 63068; Washington Lions Club, 1459 W. 5th St., Washington, MO 63090; or American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116.

Frederick G. Ferguson

Dr. Ferguson (Oklahoma State ’63), 87, State College, Pennsylvania, died August 8, 2024. He served on the veterinary faculty of Pennsylvania State University prior to retirement in 2002. During his tenure, Dr. Ferguson was a professor and directed the animal resource program and centralized biological laboratory. Earlier in his career, he worked at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York City. Dr. Ferguson volunteered with Meals on Wheels and Centre Volunteers in Medicine and was active with the Lions Club. He is survived by his wife, Joan; two daughters and a son; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a brother. Memorials may be made to Doctors Without Borders, P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741.

Bertram M. Kalet

Dr. Kalet (Georgia ’60), 97, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, died September 15, 2024. Following graduation, he co-established Ard-Vista Animal Hospital in Winston-Salem with his wife, Dr. Dorothy Kalet (Georgia ’60). Dr. Kalet was a member of the American Animal Hospital Association and North Carolina VMA. Active in his community, he was a past president of the local chapter of Civilian International and served as a Boy Scout leader for 25 years. Dr. Kalet volunteered for the Navy during World War II and served in the Army during the Korean War. He is survived by his wife, three children, and four grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Temple Emanuel General Contributions Fund, 201 Oakwood Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.

Alvin F. Moreland Sr.

Dr. Moreland (Georgia ’60), 92, Monticello, Florida, died July 28, 2024. He was a professor emeritus and a past director of the residency program in laboratory animal medicine at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Moreland also served as a consultant for NASA’s shuttle program at the Kennedy Space Center for several years. Earlier in his career, he worked at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. A diplomate and a past president of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM), Dr. Moreland was a past chair of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International’s Council on Accreditation, served on the board of trustees of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, and was a member of several committees of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. In 2008, he received the inaugural ACLAM Mentor Award.

Dr. Moreland served in the Navy during the Korean War. His daughter, two sons, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren survive him.

Thomas J. Welsh

Dr. Welsh (Oklahoma State ’65), 82, Carol Stream, Illinois, died August 3, 2024. A diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, he was a past director of Northwestern University’s Center for Comparative Medicine in Chicago. Following graduation, Dr. Welsh served in the Army, attaining the rank of captain. He went on to work 30 years at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where he directed the Comparative Research Center, before joining Northwestern University.

During his career, Dr. Welsh cofounded PreLabs, a research support organization, serving as the vice president of veterinary affairs. He also served more than 30 years as a pathology consultant for Lombard Veterinary Hospital in Lombard, Illinois. Dr. Welsh is survived by his wife, Lenore; two sons; and two grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry, Lutheran Church Charities, 3020 Milwaukee Ave., Northbrook, IL 60062, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

A version of this story appears in the December 2024 print issue of JAVMA

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