In Memory – September 12, 2024

Edwin H. Blackburn

Dr. Blackburn (Georgia ’60), 87, Darien, Georgia, died March 20, 2024. He practiced small animal medicine in Darien prior to retirement in 2011. Earlier, Dr. Blackburn worked in central Florida. He is survived by his wife, Donna, and his family.

Robert Scott Espey

Dr. Espey (Missouri ’97), 53, Lone Jack, Missouri, died June 29, 2024. He practiced at Crain Veterinary Center in Grain Valley, Missouri, with his father, Dr. Jerry R. Espey (Missouri ’71). Early in his career, Dr. Espey worked at Eagle Animal Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. He is survived by his wife, Kendra; a son and a daughter; his parents; and a sister. Memorials may be made to Cowboys for Cancer, 1311 Highway 54, Redfield, KS 66769, or Johnny Laughlin Memorial, c/o Missouri High School Rodeo Association, 10764 Marie’s Road 331, Vienna, MO 65582.

Robert Philip Gordon

Dr. Gordon, 75, Wayne, New Jersey, died July 14, 2024. A 1975 veterinary graduate of the University of Bologna in Italy, he owned Oakland Animal Hospital, a small animal practice in Oakland, New Jersey, for 45 years. In the aftermath of 9/11, Dr. Gordon volunteered his services, caring for the search and rescue dogs at Ground Zero. A past chair of the American Veterinary Medical Foundation and a past president of the New Jersey VMA, he was New Jersey’s alternate delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates from 2000-02 and was the state’s delegate from 2002-11.

Dr. Gordon served on the board of directors of the Passaic County Office of Emergency Management and the county’s Paws in the Park Pet Trust, an organization that cares for retired service animals. His wife, Susan; two sons and a daughter; and eight grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Shomrei Torah Wayne Conservative Congregation, 30 Hinchman Ave., Wayne, NJ 07474, or Paws in the Park Pet Trust, P.O. Box 3481, Wayne, NJ 07474.

William R. Lance

Dr. Lance (Oklahoma State ’65), 82, Casper, Wyoming, died June 29, 2024. Known for his dedication to improving the health and care of wild and exotic animals, he was the founder of Wildlife Pharmaceuticals, a company focused exclusively on developing specialized pharmaceuticals for nondomestic species. Following graduation, Dr. Lance served as a veterinary medical officer in the Air Force Veterinary Corps, attaining the rank of captain. During that time, he also earned a master’s in wildlife biology from Colorado State University (CSU) College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS). Dr. Lance later earned his doctorate in pathology, also from CSU CVMBS, and went on to establish Wildlife Pharmaceuticals.

A diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine, Dr. Lance was a past president of the American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians and a member of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians and Wildlife Disease Association. In 2018, he was the recipient of the CSU CVMBS Distinguished Alumnus Award. Dr. Lance is survived by his wife, Sharon; a son and a daughter; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Paul O. Leonard

Dr. Leonard (Iowa State ’57), 90, Barrington, Illinois, died June 7, 2024. He owned Bramer Animal Hospital in Evanston, Illinois, prior to retirement. Dr. Leonard was a past president of the Illinois State and Chicago VMAs and was a member of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). In 1991, he received the AAHA Outstanding Practitioner Award. Dr. Leonard is survived by his wife, Nancy; a son; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a sister.

Lynn P. Martin

Dr. Martin (Purdue ’64), 86, Fort Wayne, Indiana, died March 8, 2024. He founded Fort Wayne Pet Hospital where he practiced small animal medicine for 49 years prior to retirement in 2018. Dr. Wayne also volunteered his services at the Fort Wayne Dog Show for several years. Earlier in his career, he served as a captain in the Army Veterinary Corps during the Vietnam War and practiced in Indiana at South Bend and Elkhart.

Dr. Martin was a past president of the Northeast Indiana VMA and a member of the Indiana VMA. Active in his community, he was involved with the 4-H Club and Boy Scouts of America. Dr. Martin received several honors for his service in Indiana, including the Distinguished Hoosier Award in 2011 and the Purdue Agriculture Alumni Association’s Certificate of Distinction in 2013. In 2019, the Doc Martin Room was dedicated to him at the St. Vincent Scout Lodge in Fort Wayne.

Dr. Martin’s wife, DeMarise; a daughter and three sons; 15 grandchildren; and two brothers survive him. One son, Dr. Marcus Martin (Purdue ’01), is also a veterinarian. Memorials may be made to the St. Vincent Boy Scouts, 8965 Auburn Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46825.

Sheri J. Ross

Dr. Ross (Prince Edward ’96), 54, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, died August 16, 2024. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, she was an associate professor of small animal internal medicine at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC). Following graduation and after earning her doctorate in nephrology and urology at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Ross served as an assistant clinical professor at the university. She then completed a fellowship in renal medicine and extracorporeal therapies at the University of California Veterinary Medical Center–San Diego. Dr. Ross subsequently accepted a clinical faculty position with the University of California-Davis, serving as the coordinator of the nephrology and urology and extracorporeal therapies program in San Diego. In 2022, she joined the veterinary faculty of UPEI.

Known for her expertise in nephrology and urology, Dr. Ross was a founding member of the American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology, served on the board of directors of the International Renal Interest Society, and was a faculty member of the Hemodialysis Academy. While at Minnesota, she received the Student AVMA Teaching Excellence Award in Clinical Sciences. During her tenure at AVC, Dr. Ross was honored with the Boehringer Ingelheim Award of Excellence in Clinical Teaching, the Canadian VMA Teacher of the Year Award, and the Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award.

She is survived by her husband, Graham Bateman; her mother; and a sister. Memorials may be made to Cat Action Team, P.O. Box 2193 Station Central, Charlottetown, PE, Canada C1A 8B9; Red Head Strays, 15 Stillview Court, Saint John, NB, Canada E2P 1A5; or Cat Rescue Maritimes, PO Box 22027, Saint John, NB, Canada, E2K 4T7.

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

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