Obituaries

AVMA member

AVMA honor roll member

Nonmember

Harold F. Albers

Dr. Albers (Colorado State '49), 90, St. Petersburg, Florida, died July 16, 2017. In 1971, he moved to St. Petersburg, where he established Northeast Animal Hospital, focusing on small animal and avian medicine. Prior to that, Dr. Albers practiced mixed animal medicine in Monroe, Iowa, for more than 20 years.

Dr. Albers was known for his expertise and work with endangered species and marine wildlife, including his efforts to detoxify waterfowl after accidental chemical spills. He also served as a consultant on polar bears. Dr. Albers helped establish the St. Petersburg Audubon Society Teachers Ecology Camp and what is now known as the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, and was active with the Association of Avian Veterinarians, National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, International Crane Foundation, and Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.

Florida Veterinarian of the Year in 1989, he was a past chair of the Florida VMA membership and wildlife committees, received the FVMA Gold Star Award in 1977 and 1978, and was honored with the FVMA Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. He was also active with the Rotary Club of St. Petersburg.

Dr. Albers is survived by his son and daughter. Memorials, toward the Dr. Harold F. Albers Teachers Ecology Camp, may be made to St. Petersburg Audubon Society, 315 15th Ave. NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33704.

Donan R. Aldine

Dr. Aldine (California-Davis '68), 87, Ukiah, California, died April 25, 2017. A mixed animal veterinarian, he owned Ukiah Veterinary Hospital prior to retirement in 1995. Dr. Aldine's son and two daughters, six grandchildren, and a brother survive him.

Frederick Earl Becker Jr.

Dr. Becker (Auburn '53), 87, Tallahassee, Florida, died July 19, 2017. Following graduation, he served as a captain in the Air Force Veterinary Corps during the Korean War. Dr. Becker subsequently moved to Miami and established the Bird Road Animal Hospital, a small animal practice. He also owned several other businesses in Florida, Maine, Texas, and Canada. Dr. Becker's wife, Barbara; three children; and a grandchild survive him. Memorials may be made to Canine Companions for Independence, 8150 Clarcona Ocoee Road, Orlando, FL 32818, or American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.

Homer E. Dale

Dr. Dale (Iowa State '44), 95, Solon, Iowa, died July 22, 2017. He began his career as an assistant professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Dale subsequently taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine before joining the veterinary faculty at the University of Missouri in 1951. During his tenure at Missouri, he obtained his doctorate in physiology, served as a professor of veterinary anatomy and physiology, chaired the former Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, and twice received what is now known as the Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award.

Dr. Dale retired as professor emeritus in 1985. He is survived by three daughters and a son, eight grandchildren and two stepgrandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and a sister.

Harold Lincoln Easterbrooks

Dr. Easterbrooks (Ohio State '48), 91, Gainesville, Georgia, died March 26, 2017. He retired in the early 1990s from Agri-Bio Corporation in Gainesville. During his time with the company, Dr. Easterbrooks was director of marketing and technical services and general manager.

Following graduation and until 1955, he served as an assistant professor of animal diseases at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Dr. Easterbrooks subsequently conducted research for the American Cynamid Company, focusing on enzyme therapy in dairy cattle and poultry diseases. From 1957-1959, he served as an associate professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Easterbrooks then established a mixed animal practice in Oxford, Pennsylvania. In 1963, he began serving as a veterinary technical consultant for Agri-Tech Inc. in Oxford, eventually serving as director of research and development for the company. In 1965, Dr. Easterbrooks joined Merck and Company in Rahway, New Jersey, as a feed products technical specialist. He later worked for A.H. Robins pharmaceutical company and owned his own company, specializing in products for the poultry industry, before joining Agri-Bio Corporation.

Dr. Easterbrooks was active with the Jaycees, Elks, Boy Scouts of America, and 4-H Club. He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge. Dr. Easterbrooks served in the Army Reserve during World War II. His three daughters, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Grace Church, 422 Brenau Ave., Gainesville, GA 30501, or Alzheimer's Association, 41 Perimeter Center E., Suite 550, Atlanta, GA 30346.

William R. Graf

Dr. Graf (Pennsylvania '54), 93, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, died April 8, 2017. He owned Manor Animal Hospital, a mixed animal practice in Lancaster, for more than 50 years. Dr. Graf was a Navy veteran of World War II. He is survived by his wife, Carol, and a son and a daughter.

Roger A. Grier

Dr. Grier (Ohio State '57), 85, Sylvania, Ohio, died June 1, 2017. He was the founder of Grier Animal Hospital in Toledo, Ohio, where he practiced small animal medicine until retirement. Dr. Grier was a past president of the Toledo VMA and a member of the Sylvania Rotary Club. He is survived by his wife, Peggy, and a daughter and a son. Memorials may be made to Toledo Area Humane Society, 827 Illinois Ave., Maumee, OH 43537.

David E. Harling

Dr. Harling (Cornell '55), 85, Greensboro, North Carolina, died June 11, 2017. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, he worked as a clinician at Reidsville Veterinary Hospital in Reidsville, North Carolina, until retirement in 2015. Prior to that, Dr. Harling owned Battleground Veterinary Hospital in Greensboro for more than 30 years. In 1985, he was named North Carolina Veterinarian of the Year, and, in 1996, he was honored with the NCVMA Distinguished Veterinarian Award.

Following graduation, he served as a lieutenant in the Army Veterinary Corps and practiced small animal medicine in New York state before moving to Greensboro. Dr. Harling was active with the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he served as an adjunct assistant professor. He was a past president of the North Carolina and Guilford County VMAs and North Carolina Academy of Small Animal Medicine, and was a member of the American Animal Hospital Association. Active in his community, he was a member of the Summit Rotary Club and served on the board of directors of the Greensboro Natural Science Center.

Dr. Harling's wife, Helen; two sons and a daughter; three grandchildren; a great-grandchild; and a brother survive him. Memorials may be made to North Carolina Veterinary Medical Foundation, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, or Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741.

Margaret R. Kern

Dr. Kern (Mississippi State '88), 60, Starkville, Mississippi, died May 11, 2017. She was a member of the faculty at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine until 2015. During her tenure, Dr. Kern served as a professor of small animal medicine, service chief of the small animal internal medicine section, curriculum coordinator, director of clinical education, assistant dean, and associate dean for academic affairs. Dr. Kern was a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and a member of the Mississippi VMA.

She is survived by two daughters and a son, eight grandchildren, and two sisters and a brother. Memorials may be made to the Dr. Margaret R. Kern Memorial Annual Scholarship, MSU Foundation, College of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 6100, Mississippi State, MS 39762.

John C. Meyer

Dr. Meyer (Cornell '59), 82, Silver Spring, Maryland, died June 22, 2017. He practiced small animal medicine at Marymont Animal Hospital in Silver Spring prior to retirement. Earlier, Dr. Meyer served as a first lieutenant in the Army for two years. His wife, Elinor; two sons and a daughter; and seven grandchildren survive him.

Memorials may be made to WETA (public television and classical music for the greater Washington, D.C., area), 3939 Campbell Ave., Arlington, VA 22206, or Brookside Gardens, c/o Montgomery Parks Foundation, 9500 Brunett Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20901.

Ronald L. Persing

Dr. Persing (Washington State '54), 88, Springfield, Oregon, died July 28, 2017. He worked as a staff pathologist for Battelle Laboratory in Columbus, Ohio, prior to retirement in 1995. As part of the biomedical team of the laboratory, Dr. Persing participated in pathologic and toxicologic studies of chemicals and drugs. Earlier, he served in the Air Force Veterinary Corps for 20 years, retiring in 1975 as a lieutenant colonel. During that time, Dr. Persing worked at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C.; the Air Force weapons laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and the biomedical division of the former United States Atomic Energy Commission in Germantown, Maryland.

His daughter and son, and six grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, WA 99164.

Richard W. Sasso

Dr. Sasso (Michigan State '60), 82, Warsaw, Indiana, died March 8, 2017. A mixed animal veterinarian, he was the founder of Sasso Veterinary Hospital in Warsaw. Dr. Sasso was a member of the Indiana VMA and the Rotary Club and Jaycees. His wife, Barbara; three sons and two daughters; 11 grandchildren; and a brother and a sister survive him. Memorials may be made to Winona Lake Grace Brethren Building Fund, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, IN 46590.

Herbert F. Schryver

Dr. Schryver (Cornell '54), 89, Ithaca, New York, died June 26, 2017. A charter diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, he was professor emeritus at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine since 1990. During his tenure at Cornell, Dr. Schryver served as a professor of veterinary pathology and nutrition in the Department of Clinical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and in the Department of Animal Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He was also a past director of the university's equine research program.

Dr. Schryver began his career at a practice in Cumberland, Rhode Island, serving farmers and small animal owners in the area. He joined the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine faculty in 1958 as an instructor of pathology. After earning his doctorate in experimental pathology from the university in 1964, he was appointed an assistant professor of veterinary pathology at the veterinary school. In 1966, Dr. Schryver moved to Cornell as an associate professor of pathology and director of the newly established equine research program. While at Cornell, he studied nutrition in horses, including aspects of their physiology that influence nutrition. He also conducted research on the biomechanics of locomotion, developing a mathematical model to calculate the physical forces on the lower forelimbs of horses at various gaits.

Dr. Schryver served as a visiting scientist in orthopedic surgery at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm from 1971-72, and was a fellow in biomechanics at Weill Cornell Medicine's Hospital for Special Surgery from 1979-80. He was a member of the American Institute of Nutrition and American Society of Animal Science. Active in his community, Dr. Schryver was a past president of the Ellis Hollow Community Association and volunteered at the Tompkins County Senior Citizens Center and with Habitat for Humanity. He is survived by his wife, Elisabeth; two sons; and two grandchildren.

Michael P. Stitzel

Dr. Stitzel (Auburn University '87), 57, Melbourne, Florida, died June 3, 2017. He owned Melbourne Animal Hospital, a small animal practice, from 1988-2000. Dr. Stitzel later served as a veterinary consultant

Dr. Stitzel is survived by his wife, Susan; two daughters; his parents; and two brothers. One of his daughters, Dr. Sarah R. Stitzel (Ross '16), is in veterinary practice in Newburg, New York. Memorials may be made to South Brevard Humane Society, 2600 Otter Creek Lane, Melbourne, FL 32940.

Paul A. Strong

Dr. Strong (Guelph '64), 76, Flushing, Michigan, died May 29, 2017. Following graduation, he practiced small animal medicine in Flint, Michigan, for several years before co-establishing Valley Animal Hospital in Flint in 1976. Dr. Strong retired in 2007.

His wife, Bente; three sons, a stepson, and three stepdaughters; 11 grandchildren; a great-grandchild; and a brother and a sister survive him. Memorials may be made to Heartland Hospice, 6211 Taylor Drive, Flint, MI 48507, or Humane Society of Genesee County, G-3325 S. Dort Highway, Burton, MI 48529.

Harold G. Temple

Dr. Temple (Georgia '58), 82, Dahlonega, Georgia, died June 26, 2017. Following graduation, he joined the Air Force, retiring as medical center director of veterinary services at Travis Air Force Base in California. As director, Dr. Temple supervised the care of all the military dogs, food service facilities, and subsistence inspections. He also served on the inspector general team and consulted on veterinary medicine with 22 Air Force installations. During his 21 years of military service, Dr. Temple earned a master's of public health from the University of North Carolina, became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, and attained the rank of lieutenant colonel.

His wife, Jacquelyn; two daughters and a son; 10 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren survive him.

Daniel Weiner

Dr. Weiner (Pennsylvania '55), 88, Sarasota, Florida, died Aug. 12, 2017. He began his career working for the United States Public Health Service, first in Atlanta, and, later in Seattle. Dr. Weiner subsequently returned to Atlanta and established a small animal practice. In retirement, he moved to Sarasota, where he served as a relief veterinarian and volunteered at the Mote Marine Laboratory and the former Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary.

Dr. Weiner is survived by his companion, Muriel Shindler; a daughter and a stepdaughter; a grandchild; and a brother. Memorials may be made to Temple Beth Shalom, 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237, or Ryan Veterinary Hospital, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3800 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Donald O. Wiersig

Dr. Wiersig (Iowa State '49), 91, Bryan, Texas, died July 18, 2017. He retired as professor emeritus from the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in 1985.

Following graduation, Dr. Wiersig briefly worked in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin. He subsequently moved to Colby, Wisconsin, where he established and owned a large animal practice and dairy farm for 10 years. Dr. Wiersig then taught at the University of Maryland for a few years, and, after earning his doctorate in veterinary physiology from Iowa State University in 1967, he joined the veterinary college faculty at Texas A&M. After retiring from Texas A&M, Dr. Wiersig taught two years at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.

His wife, Bonnie; three children; and three grandchildren survive him. Memorials, toward the Donald Wiersig Scholarship Fund, may be made to Texas A&M Foundation, TAMU Box 4461, College Station, TX 77843.

Andreas Wurzer

Dr. Wurzer (Ludwig Maximillan '52), 95, Olympia Fields, Illinois, died June 6, 2017. After earning his veterinary degree in Munich, he cared for military dogs of the United States armed forces stationed in Germany. Dr. Wurzer later moved to the U.S. and practiced small animal medicine for more than 50 years at Chicago Heights Animal Hospital in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He is survived by his daughter and son, and three grandchildren. Dr. Wurzer's daughter, Dr. Andrea Wurzer (Illinois '80), practices at Chicago Heights Animal Hospital.

Obituary notifications

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