Marshall “Kim” Brinton, '81 BS, '83 DVM, died December 4, 2016, at his home in Miami Beach, Florida, at age 62. After working at a veterinary clinic in Roswell, New Mexico, Brinton and his wife, former classmate Jane Nygaard, returned to St. Paul and the University of Minnesota in 1985, when Brinton did graduate work in avian microbiology. His first major success was developing a vaccine for Pasteurella anatipestifer, an economically devastating turkey disease. In the ensuing years, he developed and patented several vaccines and toxoids to improve flock and herd health and reduce the need for antibiotics in poultry and swine. He founded the Poultry Veterinary Center in 1994 and retired in 2006.

Raymond O. Benson, '66 DVM, died on January 21 at age 92. After graduation, he established a mixed animal practice in Clarissa, Minnesota, then went on to earn a master’s in science at the University of Minnesota in 1970 and teach at Washington State University for four years. He then returned to Minnesota tonpractice primarily small animal medicine in Hermantown. He later taught at the CVM for almost 20 years, focusing on orthopedic surgery.

Carl Osborne, '64 DVM, '70 PhD, professor and founder of the Minnesota Urolith Center, died peacefully on March 5, 2017 surrounded by his family and best friend, Chloe, his longtime service dog. Osborne was a member of the College of Veterinary Medicine faculty for 53 years. He earned his DVM from Purdue University in 1964, joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine the same year, and earned his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1970.

Osborne began the Minnesota Urolith Center “on a shoestring” in 1981. Later funded by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, it has since analyzed more than one million stones sent from around the world, and continues to research the prevention of and cures for diseases of the urinary system in companion animals under the leadership of Osborne’s colleague, Dr. Jody Lulich. In recognition of his extraordinary career, the College of Veterinary Medicine created the Osborne-Hills Chair in Nephrology and Urology in 1998.

Bob Morrison, '84 PhD, '86 DVM, MBA, a professor in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, died in a traffic accident near Prague in the Czech Republic on May 2, 2017. Morrison joined the CVM in 1986. In addition to teaching and conducting research, he coordinated two swine health management conferences: the St. Paul-based Allen D. Leman Swine Conference and the Leman China Conference in Nanjing, China. He had recently launched the Swine Health Monitoring Project, which provides weekly reports on the health status of more than 50 percent of U.S. sow herds. Morrison earned his DVM at the University of Saskatchewan and his PhD and MBA at the University of Minnesota. In 2016, National Hog Farmer honored him as one of the Masters of the Pork Industry.

Stan Diesch, '56 DVM, MPH, professor emeritus, alumnus, and CVM pioneer in One Health, died on May 10, 2017, just short of his 92nd birthday. After graduating from the CVM in 1956, Diesch joined a private practice in Freeport, Illinois, before purchasing a food animal practice in Winthrop, Iowa. After about six years, he returned to the University, earning his master’s of public health and joining the University of Iowa as an assistant professor in 1963. In 1966, Diesch was hired as a faculty member at the College of Veterinary Medicine and School of Public Health, where he worked for more than 30 years. He was also the CVM’s director of international programs for 10 years. In 2015, he was honored with the Siehl Prize by the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences.

Robert A. Williams, ’60 DVM, Olympia, Wash., died April 16, 2018 at age 86. Williams had practices in Minnesota, Illinois, Vermont, Colorado, and Washington state. He also was a USDA Federal Veterinary Medical Officer in charge of shipping animals around the world from SeaTac and sea ports. Williams is survived by his wife, Georgia Mae; 4 children; 10 grandchildren; and 7 great-grandchildren.

Frederick M. Wells, ’61 DVM, Berlin, Wis., died Jan. 30, 2018 at age 86. Upon graduating from CVM, Wells purchased the Berlin Veterinary Clinic, where he practiced for 35 years. He is predeceased by his first wife, Kathy, and his daughter, Beth. Wells is survived by his second wife, Sylvia; 2 children; 2 grandchildren; and 5 step-children.

Janet D. Veit, ’96 DVM, La Crescent, Minn., died May 20, 2018 at age 48. Viet worked as a veterinarian at Hillside Animal Hospital in La Crosse, Wis. for 22 years.

Darold L Strandberg, ’57 DVM, Alma Center, Wis., died April 12, 2018 at age 90. Strandberg served in the Korean war and received the Purple Heart after being seriously wounded in action on March 8, 1951. After Korea, he attended the University of Minnesota in Duluth before attending the CVM. He began his practice in Alma Center shortly after graduating. He served on the Wisconsin Veterinary Examination Board and belonged to the American Jersey Cattle Association, serving on the board of directors and as vice president. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sylvia, and is survived by 5 children; 10 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.