AVMA News

In Memory – October 12, 2023

Member status key:

AVMA member | AVMA honor roll member | Nonmember

Aaron M. Bivens

Dr. Bivens (Tuskegee '11), 36, Las Vegas, died August 1, 2023. Following graduation, he served as an associate veterinarian at Grand Montecito Animal Hospital in Las Vegas. In 2015, Dr. Bivens established South Buffalo Springs Animal Hospital in Las Vegas, focusing on brachycephalic breeds and theriogenology. He traveled to Nicaragua as part of the Christian Veterinary Mission to assist families with their pets and livestock. Dr. Bivens was also active with the Team 5 Medical Foundation, a group of medical and survival experts providing aid in remote locations where they educated health care workers and supported villagers in Guatemala and elsewhere. Dr. Bivens is survived by a son, his parents, and five brothers and a sister.

Stanley R. Crump

Dr. Crump (Texas A&M '68), 78, Flatonia, Texas, died July 3, 2023. Following graduation, he established Friendswood Animal Clinic in Friendswood, Texas, where he practiced small animal medicine until retirement in 2009. Dr. Crump's wife, Linda; two sons; and two grandchildren survive him.

Kevin G. Dooley

Dr. Dooley (Missouri '86), 66, Hartsburg, Missouri, died July 15, 2023. He owned Dooley Animal Hospital in Ashland, Missouri, for 33 years prior to retirement. An avid hunter, Dr. Dooley taught safety courses for hunters via the Missouri Department of Conservation for 25 years. He was a member of the Missouri VMA. Dr. Dooley is survived by his wife, Judy; three daughters; three grandchildren; his mother; and two brothers and two sisters. Memorials toward Goshen Primitive Baptist Church, Goshen Cemetery, or Siteman Cancer Center may be made c/o Robinson-Yager Funeral Home, P.O. Box 68, Ashland, MO 65010.

Robert S. Laves

Dr. Laves (Oklahoma State '59), 95, Jefferson City, Missouri, died June 11, 2023. He practiced small animal medicine in Jefferson City prior to retirement in 1993. Dr. Laves served on the board of directors of the humane society in Greene County and was active with the Boy Scouts of America. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War. Dr. Laves' wife, Randi; a daughter and three sons; seven grandchildren; and a great-grandchild survive him. One son, Dr. Kurt S. Laves (Missouri '82), is also a veterinarian.

Joan C. Marshall

Dr. Marshall (Washington State '58), 89, Ekalaka, Montana, died April 3, 2023. She co-owned West Valley Veterinary Clinic in Lompoc, California, with her husband, Dr. Wesley D. Marshall (Washington State '58), for 40 years. Dr. Marshall also co-owned a cattle ranch in Montana. She served two terms on the Montana Board of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Marshall is survived by two sons, a daughter, and two grandchildren. Her daughter, Dr. Kerri Marshall (Washington State '85), is also a veterinarian.

Stephen R. Sage

Dr. Sage (Michigan State '81), 71, Haslett, Michigan, died July 29, 2023. He owned Mount Hope Veterinary Hospital, a small animal practice in Lansing, Michigan, for 31 years prior to retirement in 2022. Dr. Sage previously practiced at Benson Animal Hospital in Lansing. He was active with the Capital Area Audubon Society. Dr. Sage served in the Army during the Vietnam War. He is survived by his companion, Debra Carlson, and a brother. Memorials may be made to the Capital Area Audubon Society, P.O. Box 22065, Lansing, MI 48909, or Capital Area Humane Society, 7095 W. Grand River Ave., Lansing, MI 48906.

A version of this story appears in the December 2023 print issue of JAVMA.


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