Bridget King, ’82 DVM, Aldrich, Minn., died on May 13, 2024, at age 70. In 1983, King started Homestead Vet Clinic in Aldrich. In 1998, she and her friends founded Pets Abandoned Wanting Support, a nonprofit to help animals find good homes. King was active in her community, sitting on the City Council and serving as treasurer. She was a large supporter of live music and the Wadena Area Concert Association.

Terry Christensen, ’82 DVM, Maple Grove, Minn., died on Feb. 11, 2024, at age 68. He practiced veterinary medicine for 36 years. In 2000, he started At Home Vet Care, providing veterinary care for dogs and cats in their home environment. He is survived by his wife, Teresa; his brother; his sister; and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews.

John C. Rodgers, ’83 DVM, ’08 MS, Fairmont, Minn., died on July 18, 2023, at age 68. Rodgers worked as a large animal veterinarian at the Fairmont Veterinary Clinic for 13 years where he enjoyed caring for local farms. He then became a beef cattle reproductionist and consultant with Pfizer Animal Health. He is survived by his wife, four daughters, 10 grandchildren, a sister, his mother-in-law, and other relatives and friends.

Douglas LeMay, ’87 DVM, Roseville, Minn., died on Oct. 3, 2022, at age 62. LeMay owned Family Animal Hospital in Fridley, MN for 20 years. He was also a certified small animal hospice provider with his own home visit practice, Pet Hospice MN. Lemay also spent nearly 20 years as a volunteer firefighter for Falcon Heights, Minn. He is survived by his wife, Lisa; three sons; his mother; two brothers; and aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. 

Tamara Cherney, ’83 DVM, Madison, Wis., died on Jan. 15, 2023, at age 69. Cherney worked as a large animal veterinarian, caring for horses and farm animals. In 1998, she began her long-time position providing expert care as a small animal veterinarian at the Middleton Veterinary Hospital in Middleton, Wis. Cherney is survived by her husband, Alan; two sisters; three nieces; two nephews; her stepdaughter; and two stepsons.

Eric Thorsgard, ’87 DVM, Bemidji, Minn., died on July 8, 2022, at 64. Thorsgard worked at two veterinary practices in northern Minnesota before opening one of his own, Animal Care Clinic, in Bemidji in 1997. Orthopedic surgery was his passion and he enjoyed the challenge of developing orthopedic hardware for animals. Thorsgard is survived by his wife, Gerri; his six children; his siblings; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Ernest Drager, ’83 DVM, Bloomington, Minn., died on April 8, 2022, at 73. Drager opened Bush Lake Pet Hospital in 1984 and France Avenue Pet Hospital in 2004. He retired in February 2022. He is survived by his spouse, Lola; two daughters; his brother; his sister; nieces and nephews; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and friends.

Christopher Lee, ’87 DVM, Cape Coral, Fla., died on Jan. 10, 2021, at 66. Lee owned and operated the South Berwick Veterinary Hospital in South Berwick, Maine, for 20 years where he practiced small animal medicine and surgery with special interests in dermatology, ophthalmology, soft tissue surgery, and orthopedics. He also founded and owned the Eliot Veterinary Hospital in Eliot, Maine.

Alan Flory, ’87 DVM, Benzonia, Mich., died on Dec. 21, 2021, at 70. A man of many passions, Flory started his professional journey in automobile assembly before earning degrees in economics, an MBA, his DVM in his 30s, and, upon retirement, a graduate degree in ecology. He spent the majority of his career leading clinical and regulatory teams to bring heart valves, stents, and other lifesaving medical device products to market. He is survived by his wife, Monica; five siblings; and many nieces and nephews.