Ronald F. Dubbe, '66 DVM, Waconia, Minn., died November 28, at 81. After graduation, Dubbe practiced at the Waconia Veterinary Clinic until 1980 when he began speaking to dairy farmers across North American about dairy cow nutrition and care. Dubbe served on the Waconia Ridgeview Hospital Board and pursued several patents pertaining to dairy production and health. He is survived by his wife, Ellen; 3 sons; 7 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

Gary R. Sampson, ’60 DVM, Indianapolis, Ind., died September 5 at 82. While attending veterinary school at the U, Sampson helped charter the Nu Chapter of Alpha Psi, a professional veterinary fraternity.  He went on to become the Director of Research Animal Care at the U’s School of Medicine. Sampson’s true passion was companion animals, and he even converted his home garage into a companion animal clinic. He provided pet behavioral services for over 25 years, and served on the board of the Indianapolis Humane Society. Sampson co-wrote two animal behavior books, and often made appearances on TV. He is survived by his wife, Elaine Sampson; 2 children; and 3 grandchildren.

Ronald D. Ferguson, ’64 DVM, Austin, Minn., died May 10, 2019, at 79. Ferguson practiced veterinary medicine for over 50 years, and enjoyed building connections with his many patients and their owners. He is survived by his wife, Sherri Ferguson; 3 children; and 5 grandchildren.

Ronald B. Hass, ’61 DVM, Milaca, Minn., died May 2, 2019, at 82. Hass practiced veterinary medicine in Milaca for 41 years. His favorite part of veterinary medicine was working with farmers and their horses, which were his favorite animal.

Robert J. Sigfrid,’60 DVM, Parkers Prairie, Minn., died June 21, 2019, at 91. Sigfrid was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy after graduating high school. After achieving his DVM, Sigfrid worked as a veterinarian for the United States Department of Agriculture, both nationally and overseas. Sigfrid’s contributions to veterinary medicine included re-establishing bighorn sheep at Zion National Park, eradicating avian influenza in Lancaster, Penn., and eradicating brucellosis in a herd of Utah bison.

Robert D Cleary, ’64 DVM, Menomenie, Wis., died April 2 at 79. Cleary served as Captain in the US Army Veterinary Corps from 1964 to 1966. He was based at Fort Dix, N.J., caring for military dogs and overseeing food safety for troops serving in Vietnam. Following his military service, Cleary briefly practiced veterinary medicine in Eden, Wis. He and his family soon relocated to Menomonie, Wis., where he helped establish the Hoof and Paw Clinic and practiced mixed animal medicine. Cleary was an active member of the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA), the Wisconsin Veterinary Medicine Association, and the Bovine Practitioners Association. He also served as both president and secretary of the Northwestern Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association. Injuries forced him to leave active veterinary practice in 1999, but he continued to apply his professional expertise to volunteer veterinary endeavors around the globe throughout the early 2000s. In 2000, he served in the US Peace Corps as an animal production specialist in the mountainous regions of Cajabamba, Ecuador. Between 2001 and 2002, he worked as a volunteer agent of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), assisting the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to combat a foot-and-mouth outbreak in England. He later acted as a USDA agent in California, combatting an avian flu outbreak. And finally, assisted the AVMA providing veterinary services to farmers in rural Nicaragua. He also acted as a Spanish interpreter for dairy farmers across Dunn County, Wis., providing both farmers and their Spanish-speaking help critical language support, helping to train incoming farm workers in dairy farm operations. Bob is survived by his wife, Kitz Nierengarten Cleary; 2 children; and 3 grandchildren.

Donald W. Johnson, ’53 DVM, ’63 PhD, Green Valley, Ariz., died April 6 at 91. When the seventh graduating class of the CVM (1957) was the first class to receive ambulatory training in Maple Plain, Johnson was placed in charge of the Maple Plain ambulatory service. The venture proved very successful and provided good training for students interested in large animal practice.

Donald W. Johnson, ’53 DVM, ’63 PhD, Green Valley, Ariz., died April 6 at 91. When the seventh graduating class of the CVM (1957) was the first class to receive ambulatory training in Maple Plain, Johnson was placed in charge of the Maple Plain ambulatory service. The venture proved very successful and provided good training for students interested in large animal practice.

Wes G. Schroeder, ’64 DVM, Minnetonka, Minn., died January 27 at 82. Schroeder grew up on a farm near Bemidji, Minn., and was one of six children. He was the first in his family to attend college. He was active in the Beltrami County 4-H Club. Upon graduating from Bemidji High School in 1954, Schroeder joined the U.S. Army, serving as a medic in the 82nd Airborne Division. After serving for two years, he attended the University of Minnesota on the GI Bill, earning a bachelor of science in veterinary medicine in 1962. While in college, he spent his summers working as a smokejumper for the U.S. Forest Service in McCall, Idaho.

After finishing his DVM at the CVM, Schroeder taught large animal veterinary medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and then Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. In 1966, he opened one of the first equine-specific veterinary practices in Minnesota and ran it on his own out of his home in Wayzata for four years before cofounding Minnesota Equine Associates Ltd. in 1972 in Maple Plain, Minn. Schroeder served the community as a dedicated equine veterinarian for nearly 48 years.

During his career, Schroeder was active in many national, state, and local equine organizations and committees, including acting as president of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) in 1979. While president of the MVMA, he administered the Veterinarian’s Oath at the CVM commencement ceremony. He also served as the chairman of public relations for MVMA, the first president of the Minnesota Association of Equine Practitioners, the president of the MVMA Academy of Veterinary Medical Practice, and the president of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Alumni Association.

In 1981, Schroeder was honored as Horseman of the Year by the Minnesota Horse Council. His lifelong career reflected a dedication of time and energy to many equine areas, including participating in endurance and competitive trail riding in the upper midwest, mentoring equine veterinary students, and teaching horse health manment classes throughout the region. Schroeder was also a national award winner in competitive mounted orienteering in 1985. He is survived by 4 children and 6 grandchildren.

A Memorial Open House was held at the University of Minnesota Leatherdale Equine Center on Saturday, February 23. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that contributions be made to the Strike Zone "Striker" Memorial Equine Scholarship at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. If you have questions about this fund, contact Mindy Means, development officer at the CVM, at 612-626-5482 or mkmeans@umn.edu.