In Memory – August 2022
Published: 12 August 2022
AVMA member | AVMA honor roll member | Nonmember
Joan M. Arnoldi
Dr. Arnoldi (Illinois ’63), 87, Cincinnati, died May 10, 2022. Following graduation, she worked in a mixed animal practice in Wausau, Wisconsin, focusing on companion animals. Dr. Arnoldi subsequently joined the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, serving as director of the Wisconsin Animal Health Laboratories and as state veterinarian. In 1988, she began a career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as lead of the Regulatory Enforcement and Animal Care program. Dr. Arnoldi later led the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, for three years. She eventually served as APHIS deputy administrator of veterinary services and as chief veterinary officer and retired as an associate administrator in 1999.
Dr. Arnoldi went on to serve as state veterinarian of Michigan and as director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture’s Animal Industry Division. In 2009, she joined the AVMA as an assistant director of the Animal Welfare Division, retiring in 2011. Active in organized veterinary medicine, Dr. Arnoldi was a past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and represented the association in the AVMA House of Delegates from 1988-94. She was also a past member of the Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board and held several leadership roles with the United States Animal Health Association, including serving as chair of its International Standards Committee.
In 2004, Dr. Arnoldi was honored with the APHIS Animal Health Award. She is survived by her family. Memorials may be made to the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians Foundation, P.O. Box 6396, Visalia, CA 93290.
Robert O. Bixby
Dr. Bixby (Cornell ’62), 83, South Colton, New York, died Jan. 28, 2022. Following graduation, he practiced small animal medicine for two years at Somerset Veterinary Hospital in Somerville, New Jersey. Dr. Bixby subsequently moved to Norfolk, New York, where he joined the practice of his father, Dr. Donald Bixby (Cornell ’35). He then established a practice in Norfolk, working there until retirement in the late 1990s.
Dr. Bixby was a member of the Norfolk Lions Club. His wife, Louise; two daughters; four grandchildren; and a sister and two brothers survive him. Memorials may be made to Help Sami Kick Cancer, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families who have received a pediatric cancer diagnosis, and sent to 5905 CR 27, Canton, NY 13617.
Charles E. Blackbourn
Dr. Blackbourn (Minnesota ’60), 86, Winter Haven, Florida, died April 15, 2022. Following graduation, he began his career in southern Wisconsin, establishing Rock Veterinary Clinic in Janesville, where he practiced mixed animal medicine for more than 30 years. Dr. Blackbourn served on the board of directors of several field trial and kennel clubs. He is survived by two sons, two daughters, and six grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, 8051 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27617.
Gary A. Carrier
Dr. Carrier (Missouri ’72), 73, Panama City, Florida, died April 22, 2022. Following graduation, he served in the Air Force Veterinary Corps for two years at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia. Dr. Carrier subsequently worked at Pasadena Veterinary Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. He later established Baywood Veterinary Hospital in Cape Coral, Florida, where he practiced small animal medicine until retirement in 2013. Dr. Carrier is survived by his wife, Rebecca; a daughter and a son; five grandchildren; and a brother. Memorials may be made to Southeastern Guide Dogs, 4210 77th St. E., Palmetto, FL 34221.
John K. Cooper
Dr. Cooper (Texas A&M ’56), 88, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, died Jan. 13, 2022. Following graduation, he began his career in Baton Rouge. In 1965, Dr. Cooper established Sherwood Forest Animal Hospital, a small animal practice in Baton Rouge. He was a past president of the Louisiana VMA. Dr. Cooper is survived by his wife, Helen; two sons and two daughters; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Catholic High School, 855 Hearthstone Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, or Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, c/o Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, TX 77840.
Lester M. Crawford
Dr. Crawford (Auburn ’63), 83, Athens, Georgia, died Dec. 23, 2021. He was a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, the first veterinarian to serve in this capacity.
Following graduation, Dr. Crawford practiced in Birmingham, Alabama. He subsequently worked as a research and development veterinarian for American Cyanamid Co. Dr. Crawford went on to join the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, where he earned his doctorate in pharmacology, chaired the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, and was associate dean of the veterinary college. Between 1978 and 1985, he twice directed the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Crawford later worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, serving as administrator for four years. After that, he was executive vice president for scientific affairs at the National Food Processors Association in Washington, D.C. Dr. Crawford then served as executive director of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges before directing the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy, which was at Georgetown University and then moved to Virginia Tech. He later served again as executive director of the AAVMC. In 2002, Dr. Crawford rejoined the FDA, where he was deputy commissioner, acting commissioner, and commissioner. He resigned in 2005.
A past president of the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society and the American Veterinary Medical History Society, Dr. Crawford was an honorary diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and the International Academy of Food Science and Technology. He was inducted into the French Academy of Veterinary Medicine and received an honorary doctorate from Budapest University. In 2003, Dr. Crawford was elected to the National Academy of Medicine. He served as an adviser to the World Health Organization and the Singapore Health Sciences Authority, and he was a member of the board of directors of the former National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues.
Dr. Crawford is survived by his wife, Cathy; two daughters; four grandchildren; and a sister and a brother. His nephew, Dr. Casey Ray (Auburn ’04), is a mobile veterinarian in Bessemer, Alabama. Memorials may be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Road SW, Lilburn, GA 30047, or First Presbyterian Church of Athens, 185 E. Hancock Ave., Athens, GA 30601.
Jennifer B. Davis
Dr. Davis (Auburn ’09), 44, Jacksonville, Florida, died April 16, 2022. She practiced small animal medicine at San Jose-Beauclerc Animal Hospital in Jacksonville. Dr. Davis previously worked at Deerwood Animal Clinic and Briarcliff Animal Hospital in Jacksonville. She was president of the Jacksonville Veterinary Medical Society and was a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the Florida VMA. Dr. Davis was active with the Golden Retriever Emergency Assistance Team Rescue of NE Florida. Her mother and brother survive her. Memorials may be made to GREAT Rescue of NE Florida Inc., P.O. Box 600878, Jacksonville, FL 32259.
Joseph M. Day
Dr. Day (Oklahoma State ’77), 70, Perry, Oklahoma, died Jan. 17, 2022. During his career, he practiced in Oklahoma at Chickasha, Medford, and Perry. Dr. Day was a member of the Noble County Cattlemen’s Association, Mulhall-Orlando Livestock Booster Club, and Central Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association. He was also a member of the board for Mulhall-Orlando Public Schools. Dr. Day is survived by his wife, Kathy; two sons; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a brother. Memorials may be made to the Central Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association, 405 N. 32nd St., Perry, OK 73077.
Austin R. Johnson Sr.
Dr. Johnson (Georgia ’59), 87, Kinston, North Carolina, died May 17, 2022. He founded Countryview Animal Hospital in Kinston. Active in his community, Dr. Johnson served as president of parent-teacher associations and was a member of the board of directors of the local health department. He was also active with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Kinston Toastmasters Club. Dr. Johnson’s wife, Ellen; a daughter; three grandchildren; and a brother survive him. Memorials may be made to the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Research Foundation, 4062 Peachtree Road, Suite A209, Atlanta, GA 30319.
Robert E. Jones
Dr. Jones (Cornell ’61), 88, LeRoy, New York, died Jan. 8, 2022. He practiced mixed animal medicine in the Genesee Valley area of New York state for more than 35 years. Dr. Jones was a member of the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, Genesee Valley VMA, and Buffalo Academy of Veterinary Medicine.
He was a past president of the LeRoy Rotary Club, served on the LeRoy Central School Board, and was a member of the LeRoy Jaycees. Dr. Jones was also active via several official positions with the Jupiter-Tequesta Rotary Club during his retirement years in Florida. He served on the board of directors of the Guatemalan Tomorrow Fund, helping raise funds for the needy in Guatemala.
Dr. Jones was a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War. He is survived by a daughter, two sons, a stepson, 12 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, and a brother.
Frederic S. Julius
Dr. Julius (Kansas State ’78), 82, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, died May 2, 2022. He served as a field veterinarian with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine prior to retirement in 2000. Earlier in his career, Dr. Julius owned a mixed animal practice in western Kansas. His wife, Marcia, survives him.
Paul H. Langner
Dr. Langner (Pennsylvania ’66), 84, Alamogordo, New Mexico, died March 29, 2022. Following graduation, he served as an ambulatory clinician at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center. Dr. Langner subsequently joined the Army Veterinary Corps, during which time he spent a year in Vietnam, where he helped establish a veterinary clinic at Quang Tri Combat Base. He went on to practice small animal and equine medicine and worked as a senior research veterinarian for American Cyanamid Co.
Dr. Langner later completed a fellowship in laboratory animal medicine at Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He served as director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and director of laboratory animal care at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. He then worked at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo.
Dr. Langner is survived by a daughter, two grandchildren, and a brother.
Edgar L. Loy
Dr. Loy (Pennsylvania ’53), 95, Wayne, Pennsylvania, died May 6, 2022. Following graduation, he practiced large animal medicine in the Newville area of Pennsylvania. Dr. Loy subsequently owned West Shore Animal Hospital in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, and Lower Allen Veterinary Clinic in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. He retired in 2013.
Dr. Loy was a Navy veteran of World War II. He later served in the Army Reserves. Dr. Loy’s wife, Dorothy; two daughters and three sons; 14 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675.
William C. MacArthur
Dr. MacArthur (Michigan State ’94), 59, Bella Vista, Arkansas, died April 25, 2022. Following graduation, he served as president and director of research and development at Geneworks Inc., an avian genetic research company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. MacArthur subsequently founded and was chief veterinarian at Affordable Veterinary Services in Ann Arbor. He later served as chief medical officer and director of research and development at Zomedica in Ann Arbor. In recent years, Dr. MacArthur worked at Hancock Veterinary Services in Bella Vista, Arkansas, and at St. Francis Animal Hospital in Springdale, Arkansas. He is survived by two sons, his mother, a sister, and two brothers.
Arnold J. Pals
Dr. Pals (Michigan State ’63), 84, Spring Lake, Michigan, died May 19, 2022. Following graduation, he served as a captain in the Army Veterinary Corps. During that time, Dr. Pals was a research support veterinarian at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. From 1965-68, he practiced companion animal medicine in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dr. Pals subsequently joined Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he helped establish the veterinary technology program and served as its first director. In 1972, he moved to Spring Lake, becoming a partner at Clarke Animal Hospital.
Dr. Pals established a scholarship to benefit students at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He received special recognition at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the college’s veterinary technology program. Dr. Pals is survived by his wife, Joanne; his son, Dr. William Pals (Michigan State ’97), and two daughters; six grandchildren; and a brother. Memorials may be made to Grand Haven Christian School, 1102 Grant Ave., Grand Haven, MI 49417; Western Michigan Christian High School, 455 E. Ellis Road, Norton Shores, MI 49441; or Ferrysburg Community Church, 17785 Mohawk Drive, Spring Lake, MI 49456.
Paul W. Pennock
Dr. Pennock (Guelph ’58), 91, Guelph, Ontario, died June 10, 2022. He was a professor emeritus in the Department of Clinical Studies at the University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology, Dr. Pennock also served as a veterinary radiologist during his tenure. Active in his community, he was a member of the Guelph Rotary Club. Dr. Pennock’s wife, Anne; a son and a daughter; and four grandchildren survive him. Memorials may be made to the Guelph Humane Society, 190 Hanlon Creek Blvd., Guelph, ON N1C 0A1, Canada.
John F. Quast
Dr. Quast (Minnesota ’66), 83, Williamsburg, Michigan, died March 20, 2022. Following graduation and after earning his doctorate in pathology from the University of Minnesota, he joined Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan, where he worked in the toxicology department. As a senior associate scientist, Dr. Quast was known for his expertise on the safety of several chemicals used in agriculture and industry. He was a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and led several studies aimed at protecting human health and the environment during his 25-year career. Dr. Quast worked with partners nationwide and in Brazil, Japan, China, and Europe. He retired in 1998.
Dr. Quast was a veteran of the Navy. He is survived by his wife, Mary; a daughter and a son; and five grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Christ the King Catholic Church, 3801 Shore Road, Williamsburg, MI 49690.
Robert H. Rainier
Dr. Rainier (Ohio State ’63), 84, Carmel, Indiana, died June 11, 2022. He worked in veterinary product research and development for Pfizer in Terre Haute, Indiana, and Groton, Connecticut, for more than 30 years. Earlier in his career, Dr. Rainier served briefly as a clinician at Gurley Small Animal Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, and was assistant director at the Bio-Toxicological Research Association in Spencerville, Ohio.
His wife, Nell; a son and a daughter; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a sister survive him. Memorials may be made to the Robert H. Rainier Endowed Chair in Industrial Veterinary Medicine and Research, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1900 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210.
Ronald L. Sigler
Dr. Sigler (Purdue ’63), 84, Wickenburg, Arizona, died March 3, 2022. Following graduation, he practiced at Hinsdale Veterinary Clinic in Hinsdale, Illinois. Dr. Sigler subsequently served as a relief veterinarian in Phoenix and practiced part time in Payson, Arizona. He later established a practice in the Sunnyslope area of Phoenix and founded Sun City Animal Hospital in Sun City, Arizona. In 1977, Dr. Sigler became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. After that, he sold Sun City Animal Hospital and established Animal Eye Specialists in Phoenix. In 1995, Dr. Sigler sold his practice to Eye Care for Animals, continuing to work there until retirement in 2018.
A member of the Arizona VMA, he received its Distinguished Service Award in 1999, was named Veterinarian of the Year in 2015, and was inducted into the Arizona Veterinary Hall of Fame in 2017. Dr. Sigler volunteered with the Hassayampa River Preserve in Wickenburg. His wife, Patricia; two daughters; and a brother survive him. Memorials may be made to Adventist Development and Relief Agency, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904, or Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, 27026 N. 156th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85262.
Ralph A. Smith
Dr. Smith (California-Davis ’55), 91, San Diego, died April 9, 2022. Following graduation, he began working in Lancaster, California. Dr. Smith subsequently established a small animal practice in Lancaster, where he practiced for 25 years. He then served as a relief veterinarian for several years in Southern California. In 1983, Dr. Smith moved to San Diego, where he owned a practice until retirement in 1994. He is survived by a daughter, a son, two grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Tyson W. Wallis
Dr. Wallis (Texas A&M ’04), 42, Pilot Point, Texas, died March 25, 2022. Following graduation, he completed an internship at Oakridge Equine Hospital in Edmond, Oklahoma, and a combined master’s and surgical residency program at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Dr. Wallis subsequently became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and worked in Tennessee and South Carolina. In 2012, he co-founded Equine Athlete Veterinary Services in Pilot Point, focusing on sports medicine and lameness. Dr. Wallis also served as a staff surgeon for Michigan Equine Surgical Associates in Bridgeport.
A member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, he was an Arabian Show Horse delegate for the AAEP Performance Horse Task Force. Dr. Wallis was also a member of the Arabian Horse Association and the Arabian Professional and Amateur Horseman’s Association. His wife, Kristen; a daughter; and his parents survive him. Memorials may be made to the Friends of Vail Foundation, 720 Venture Farm Road, Pilot Point, Texas 76258.
