Obituaries

Robert J. Schroeder 1921-2013

Robert J. Schroeder, 91, died June 4, 2013, in Palm Desert, Calif., where he had recently moved. The AVMA’s 86th president led a distinguished career in veterinary medicine and public service. He was an AVMA honor roll member.

In 1991, Dr. Schroeder received the AVMA Public Service Award for outstanding contributions to public health and regulatory veterinary medicine. “Some of the greatest moments of my life have been here with the AVMA, and this is certainly one of them,” he said in accepting the award.

Born into a farming family in Fort Collins, Colo., Dr. Schroeder received his DVM degree from Colorado State University in 1947 and spent the ensuing year with the Department of Agriculture working in Mexico on the Mexican-American campaign against foot-and-mouth disease. Then, he joined the Los Angeles County Livestock Department. In 1957, he was named director of the department, a title that changed to county veterinarian in 1965, and in 1972, he was promoted to deputy director of comparative medical and veterinary services, the position from which he retired in 1979.

At the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Dr. Schroeder held a dual academic appointment as clinical professor of pathology (comparative medicine) and clinical professor of community medicine and public health. He was instrumental in establishing the school’s Section on Comparative Pathology. In 1979, the school named him emeritus professor of pathology.

Dr. Schroeder was instrumental in establishing the Center for Comparative Medicine at the University of California-Davis. He was a charter diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.

In 1966, Dr. Schroeder won a three-way contest for AVMA president-elect, defeating two veterinary college deans. Earlier, he had served on the Executive Board, from 1961-1966. In 1960, he was secretary of the AVMA Section on Regulatory Veterinary Medicine. When the AVMA established the National Television Advisory Committee in 1966, he was named to direct it. He was a member of the AVMA Council on Education from 1969-1974 and chair of what is now the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities.

His term as AVMA president was from 1967-1968. In his address as incoming president, he recommended that the House of Delegates instruct the Executive Board to immediately begin an in-depth study of large animal practice, which he thought was struggling. Only 7 percent of AVMA members were large animal practitioners at that time, and many were leaving for other fields. He also recommended that the AVMA redefine and clarify the AVMA administrative structure and responsibilities of officers and governance bodies, have the membership elect the president-elect, establish a continuing education program, and approve representation of special-interest groups in the HOD.

Dr. Schroeder served as president of the Southern California VMA in 1960 and on several committees of the California VMA.

His other organizational affiliations included chairing the Public Health Committee of the U.S. Livestock Sanitary Association and the Food and Agriculture Committee of the Los Angeles Chapter of the United Nations Association. Dr. Schroeder was an adviser to the board of directors of the Los Angeles County Farm Bureau, a member of the Agriculture Committee of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, an executive committee member of the U.S. Animal Health Association, and a trustee of the Los Angeles Zoo Association. He was active in the Medical Research Association of California.

Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences bestowed its Honor Alumnus Achievement Award on him in 1969. He also received the Extraordinary Service Award from California Regional Medical Programs, a Distinguished Service citation from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Distinguished Award for Veterinary Leadership from the Southern California VMA, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Southern California Alumni chapter of CSU.

Dr. Schroeder served his country as a 1st lieutenant in the Paratrooper Field Artillery in World War II and as a 1st lieutenant in the Army Veterinary Corps during the Korean War.

Dr. Schroeder and his wife of 65 years, Jan, lived in Downey, Calif., for more than 60 years. After his retirement, they spent more than 25 years indulging their passion for fishing, clamming, crabbing, and camping. They fished their way from the tip of the Baja California peninsula to the coastal shores of Alaska.

He is survived by his wife; his daughter, Jeri Barry; his sons, Craig Schroeder and Curt Schroeder; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial donations to the Center for Comparative Medicine may be mailed to the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, P.O. Box 1167, Davis, CA 95617, with checks made payable to “UC Regents” and the check memo line notated “In memory of Dr. Robert Schroeder.”

Donations may also be made online. Click on “Center for Comparative Medicine.”

AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

Nonmember

Wayne E. Bannink

Dr. Bannink (MSU ’57), 80, Sparta, Mich., died June 27, 2013. A mixed animal veterinarian, he was a partner at Sparta Animal Clinic prior to retirement in 2000. Dr. Bannink was a past president of the Western Michigan VMA and a past member of the Michigan VMA Food Animal Health Committee. In 1995, he received the MVMA Birth of a Purebred Food Animal Practitioner Award. Active in civic life, Dr. Bannink was a member of the Sparta Rotary Club and served on the Sparta School Board. He is survived by his wife, Ardie; two sons and a daughter; six granddaughters and a grandson; and two great-granddaughters. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Michigan, 112 W. Chisholm St., Alpena, MI 49707; or Sparta United Methodist Church, 54 E. Division St., Sparta, MI 49345.

William W. Bay

Dr. Bay (TEX ’48), 89, Bryan, Texas, died May 29, 2013. He was professor emeritus of veterinary pathology at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences since 1982.

Following graduation, Dr. Bay accepted a research position at Purdue University, where he obtained a master’s and earned his doctorate, both in veterinary pathology. In 1952, he moved to Killeen, Texas, to work in the family businesses. Dr. Bay joined the TAMU CVM&BS in 1965 as an associate professor of veterinary pathology. During his tenure, he also conducted research on swine diseases and served as associate dean of academic affairs. Dr. Bay was a member of the Texas VMA and was a past president of the board of regents at Central Texas Junior College. He was also a member of the Killeen Chamber of Commerce and Killeen and College Station Lions clubs, and served as secretary of the board of trustees for the Killeen Independent School District. Dr. Bay was a veteran of the Navy. He is survived by his wife, Mary; a son and a daughter; two grandsons; and a great-granddaughter. Memorials in his name may be made to Cornerstone Christian Academy, 2475 Earl Rudder Freeway S., College Station, TX 77840; Traditions Hospice, 1862 Rock Prairie, Suite 202, College Station, TX 77845; or American Cancer Society, 3207 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan, TX 77802.

Kenneth H. Eskelund

Dr. Eskelund (MSU ’51), 89, Winslow, Maine, died May 30, 2013. Prior to retirement in 1993, he was president of what was known as Maine Biological Laboratories, a company he co-founded in Winslow in 1957. MBL produced poultry vaccines and in later years included a laboratory for the development of inactivated viruses. Prior to the establishment of MBL, Dr. Eskelund managed CMT Company, the broiler-growing division of Fort Halifax Packing Company in Maine. Before that, he worked for the South New Jersey Poultry Diagnostic Laboratory for a year and was with the state veterinarian’s office in Indianapolis. During his career, Dr. Eskelund also co-founded Maine Poultry Services, Maine Poultry Consultants, and Northeast Laboratory Services; did poultry disease diagnostic work; and consulted for Maine broiler-producing companies. He was a longtime member of the American Association of Avian Pathologists.

Dr. Eskelund received several honors, including the AAAP Special Service Award in 2000 and the Michigan State University Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005. He volunteered his time and services to several civic organizations and causes, and in 2001, he received the Philanthropy Day Award from the Northern New England Chapter of the Association of Fund-Raising Professionals. Dr. Eskelund and his wife were recipients of the Distinguished Community Service Award from the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce in 2007, and, in 2009, the Alfond Youth Center honored them with the naming of the Kenneth and Shirley Eskelund Kids Room. The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers recognized their contributions with the naming of the Eskelund Conference Center Building on its campus. Dr. Eskelund was an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II. His wife and three sons survive him. Memorials may be made to the Boys and Girls Club/YMCA, 126 North St., Waterville, ME 04901; or Maine Children’s Home, 93 Silver St., Waterville, ME 04901.

Stuart V. Jones

Dr. Jones (COR ’50), 92, Port Richey, Fla., died May 11, 2013. From 1967 until retirement in 1984, he owned a small animal practice in Ferndale, N.Y. Earlier in his career, Dr. Jones practiced large animal medicine with his father, the late Dr. Orrin P. Jones, in Norwich, N.Y., and worked as a poultry inspector for the state of California. He was an Army veteran of World War II. Dr. Jones’ wife, Catherine; three sons; four grandsons and three granddaughters; and three great-grandchildren survive him.

Philip L. Linnemann

Dr. Linnemann (OKL ’72), 72, Lexington, Okla., died March 27, 2013. A small animal veterinarian, he was the founder of Park Lane Veterinary Hospital in Norman, Okla. Dr. Linnemann also conducted a radio show, “Pet Talk,” in Norman for more than 10 years. Early in his career, he practiced at Westwood Veterinary Hospital in Norman. A member of the Oklahoma VMA, Dr. Linnemann was a recipient of the Pittman-Moore Award for research in porphyria and the Upjohn Small Animal Clinician Award. He also received the Norman Transcript’s Reader’s Choice Award several times as the best veterinarian in Norman. Active in civic life, Dr. Linnemann was a founding member of the Sooner Rotary Club and was a member of the Normal Business Association. He was a veteran of the Army. Dr. Linnemann’s wife, Michelle; two daughters; a son; and two grandsons survive him. Memorials may be made to the Dr. Philip L. Linnemann Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Bill Osborne, Sooner Rotary Club, 101 E. Gray, Suite A, Norman, OK 73069.

James R. McVicker

Dr. McVicker (IL ’67), 72, Energy, Ill., died April 29, 2013. He owned Southern Illinois Equine Clinic in Herrin until 1994. Dr. McVicker is survived by his wife, Jan; a son; a daughter; two stepdaughters; a stepson; and seven grandchildren. Memorials toward the Herrin Junior Ball League may be made c/o Johnson-Hughes Funeral Home, 201 S. 13th St., Herrin, IL 62948.

Luther P. Murphy Jr.

Dr. Murphy (GA ’51), 88, Tampa, Fla., died March 9, 2013. He practiced for more than 50 years in Tampa, most of that time as owner of the Murphy Animal Hospital. Dr. Murphy served in the Army during the Korean War. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; three daughters; 10 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Bayshore Baptist Church, 3111 W. Morrison Ave., Tampa, FL 33629.

Donald F. Patterson

Dr. Patterson (OKL ’54), 82, Seattle, died June 8, 2013. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, he was professor emeritus of medicine and medical genetics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and professor emeritus of human genetics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine since 2000. Dr. Patterson began his career as an instructor in small animal medicine and surgery at Penn after completing an internship at what is now Angell Animal Medical Center. From 1956-1958, he served in the Air Force Veterinary Corps, attaining the rank of captain. During his military service, Dr. Patterson was chief of laboratory services in the Aero-Medical Field Laboratory at Holloman Air Force Base and helped train primates used in research, including Ham, the first chimpanzee in space. Dr. Patterson returned to the University of Pennsylvania in 1958 as an instructor in veterinary cardiology, later becoming a professor of medicine, medical genetics, and human genetics at the schools of Veterinary Medicine and Medicine.

During his 42-year tenure, he also served as the first chief of the university’s Section of Clinical Cardiology, established the Penn Medical Genetics Clinic, and founded and served as chief of the first academic subdivision devoted to medical genetics in a school of veterinary medicine. From 1985-2000, Dr. Patterson was the principal investigator for the Veterinary School Referral Center for Animal Models of Human Genetic Disease, and, in 1995, he founded and directed the Center for Research in Comparative Medical Genetics. With his expertise in the field of animal genetics, cardiovascular diseases, and congenital malformations, he helped conduct National Institutes of Health–supported research to identify and characterize the role of genetic defects in cardiac development in dogs.

Dr. Patterson was a past trustee for The Seeing Eye Inc. and was a past member of the board of scientific reviewers for the American Journal of Veterinary Research. He was a member of the American Society of Veterinary Physiologists and Pharmacologists, Academy of Veterinary Cardiology, American Heart Association, American Society of Veterinary Clinicians, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and New York Academy of Sciences. Dr. Patterson received several honors, including the AVMA Gaines Award in 1972 for contributions to small animal medicine and a Ralston Purina Small Animal Research Award in 1981. In 1982, he was honored with the American Animal Hospital Association’s Award of Merit for research identifying specific types of cardiovascular disease in dogs. Dr. Patterson was the recipient of the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1990 and the American Kennel Club Achievement Award in Canine Research in 1995. In 2011, he received the AVMA Lifetime Excellence in Research Award.

Dr. Patterson’s two sons; two grandsons; and two granddaughters survive him. One son, Dr. Russell H. Patterson (UP ’84), is a surgeon at the Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle. Memorials may be made to Seeing Eye Foundation, P.O. Box 375, Morristown, NJ 07963; University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Gifts Accounting and Administration, 3451 Walnut St., 433 Franklin Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104; or Alzheimer’s Foundation, 322 Eighth Ave., 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001.

Gerald V. Peacock

Dr. Peacock (ISU ’50), 88, Tavares, Fla., died April 24, 2013. Prior to retirement, he was director of the Department of Agriculture’s animal disease laboratory in Ames, Iowa. During his 30-year career with the USDA, Dr. Peacock served as assistant director of the Agricultural Research Service’s Veterinary Biologics Division and was director of programs development and application for the Veterinary Services division of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. He was a member of the U.S. Animal Health Association. Dr. Peacock served as a pilot in the Navy during World War II. His two sons; a daughter; two grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren survive him.

Jere M. Phillips

Dr. Phillips (AUB ’56), 80, Birming­ham, Ala., died May 4, 2013. A diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, he led the laboratory animal medicine program at Auburn University prior to retirement.

Following graduation, Dr. Phillips joined the Air Force. During his military service, he earned his master’s in laboratory animal medicine from Texas A&M University and was involved with laboratory animal research, also taking care of animals used in research. For a time, Dr. Phillips was assigned to the Pan American Health Organization and was stationed in Brazil to assist with the foot-and-mouth disease program. He later transferred to the U.S. Public Health Service and worked as institute veterinarian at the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Phillips retired with the rank of naval captain after 26 years of service. He then joined Sema Corporation in Rockville, Md., as director of veterinary services, caring for primates used in research.

Dr. Phillips is survived by a son; a daughter; and two granddaughters. Memorials may be made to Thomaston Memorial Association, P.O. Box 192, Thomaston, AL 36783.

James R. Prine

Dr. Prine (TEX ’51), 88, Stayton, Ore., died May 13, 2013. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, he worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico from 1969 until retirement in 1993. Prior to that, Dr. Prine served in the Air Force Veterinary Corps, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Texas VMA, and Retired Military Officers Association. Dr. Prine is survived by two sons; two daughters; and six grandchildren. Memorials may be made to American Radio Relay Lead, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111; or Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX 77843.

Richard T. Riegel

Dr. Riegel (MO ’57), 85, St. Louis, died April 30, 2013. Prior to retirement, he owned Riegel Animal Hospital, a small animal practice in St. Louis. Early in his career, Dr. Riegel worked at the Humane Society of Missouri. His wife, Dr. Susan Saueressig-Riegel, a 1953 graduate of Ludwig Maximillan University in Munich, died in February (see JAVMA, July 1, 2013, pg 38). Memorials toward the Cinderella/Chief Fund may be made to the Humane Society of Missouri, 1201 Macklind Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110.

Harry Rozmiarek

Dr. Rozmiarek (MIN ’62), 74, Philadelphia, died June 15, 2013. Secretary-general of the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science, he also directed laboratory animal medicine at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia since 2004.

Following graduation, Dr. Rozmiarek joined the Army Veterinary Corps as an attending veterinarian at Fort Myer, Va. During his military career, which spanned 20 years, he served as a consultant in laboratory animal medicine to the Army surgeon general, conducted research on infectious diseases and vaccines with the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, and was chief of the Animal Resources Division at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Md. In 1978, Dr. Rozmiarek received the A Award for his contributions to Army medical research. On his retirement with the rank of colonel in 1983, he was honored with the Meritorious Service Medal and the USAMRIID’s Commander’s Award.

Following his military service, Dr. Rozmiarek served on the veterinary faculty of The Ohio State University, where he was a professor of laboratory animal medicine and directed the Office of University Laboratory Animal Resources. In 1987 he joined the University of Pennsylvania as university veterinarian, also serving as a professor of laboratory animal medicine and as the first director of the university’s laboratory animal resources program. Dr. Rozmiarek retired from Penn in 2004 as professor emeritus. During his career, he also served as an adjunct professor at the Shanghai Society for Biomedical Research and was a visiting professor of laboratory animal medicine at the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts, West Indies.

Dr. Rozmiarek was known for his commitment to the development of guidelines for the proper care and use of animals in research. He was a past president of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners, and American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. He was immediate past chair of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International and a past chair of the National Institutes of Health Animal Resources Committee. Dr. Rozmiarek was active with the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research and served on the boards of the Scientific Consultants Group for Malaria Research of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research, and Penn­sylvania Society for Biomedical Research.

He was a member of the editorial committees for the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Guidebook. Dr. Rozmiarek served on the Editorial Advisory Committee and Scientific Review Board for the AALAS Contemporary Topics Journal and was editor emeritus for the Shanghai Laboratory Animal Science Journal. In 1981, he was co-honored with the AALAS Research Award. Dr. Rozmiarek received the AALAS Griffin Award in 1995 and the Charles River Prize in 1996. In 2009, the Pennsylvania VMA honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The AAALAC International awarded Dr. Rozmiarek its Bennett J. Cohen Award in 2012, and, in 2013, he was the recipient of the AALAS Nathan R. Brewer Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Rozmiarek is survived by his wife, Jane; three sons; a daughter; and five grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Harry Rozmiarek Animal Science Scholarship Fund, Salem Five Bank, 495 Cabot St., Beverly, MA 01915.

John C. Shook

Dr. Shook (UP ’48), 90, Mechanics­burg, Pa., died March 30, 2013. Prior to retirement in 1986, he was Maryland state veterinarian.

Following graduation, Dr. Shook established a large animal practice in Spring Mills, Pa. In 1957, he began a career in regulatory veterinary medicine, joining the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture as a field veterinarian. Dr. Shook went on to serve as chief of the PDA’s meat hygiene division, directed its Department of Animal Industry, and eventually became Pennsylvania state veterinarian. In 1971, he moved to Maryland, where he was director of the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s laboratory, later serving as assistant chief of animal health and state veterinarian. Dr. Shook was a past president of the U.S. Animal Health Association and a life member of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians.

In 1995, he was honored by the USAHA for outstanding service to the livestock industry. Dr. Shook received the USAHA Medal of Distinction in 2008. A veteran of World War II, he served in the Army. Dr. Shook is survived by two sons; three grandsons; and two great-granddaughters. Memorials may be made to Mechanicsburg Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Simpson St., Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.

Charles A. Thomas

Dr. Thomas (ISU ’58), 79, Thor, Iowa, died May 17, 2013. Primarily a small animal veterinarian, he began his career in Lehigh, Iowa, practicing with his father, the late Dr. Gordon E. Thomas. Dr. Thomas then established a practice in Fort Dodge, Iowa, where he worked for 10 years before founding Fort Dodge Animal Hospital in 1974. In 1997, he began serving as a relief veterinarian after a brief stint with the Department of Agriculture. Dr. Thomas established his most recent practice in 2008 in Badger, Iowa, where he worked part time. He also raised, bred, and exhibited Angus and crossbred cattle and horses.

Dr. Thomas was a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and a life member of the Iowa VMA. He is survived by his wife, Leesanne, and two daughters.

Stanley A. Vezey

Dr. Vezey (TEX ’44), 89, Athens, Ga., died June 4, 2013. In 1969, he joined the Department of Avian Medicine at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine as a professor and extension veterinarian. Dr. Vezey remained on the veterinary faculty until retirement in 1987, working at the university’s Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center toward the latter part of his tenure.

Prior to his academic service, Dr. Vezey was a technical services and clinical veterinarian for several pharmaceutical companies, including Schering Corp., American Cyanamid Co., Jensen-Salsbery Laboratories, and Sterwin Chemicals Inc. During that time, he conducted early field studies on several poultry vaccines still in use today. Dr. Vezey also developed a vaccine for quail pox during his career.

Following graduation, Dr. Vezey served in the Army during World War II and worked for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. He was a life member of the American Association of Avian Pathologists, a founding member of the North American Gamebird Association, and a member of the Georgia VMA. Dr. Vezey was named NAGA Man of the Year in 1955 and received its Meritorious Service Award in 1996. His wife, Eleanor; a son; and three grandchildren survive him.

Obituary notifications

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