In Memory – November 7, 2024

Edward J. Bicknell

Dr. Bicknell (Kansas State '60), 96, Manhattan, Kansas, died June 28, 2024. From 1999-2015, he served as resident veterinarian for Hickman's Family Farms in Buckeye, Arizona. Following graduation, Dr. Bicknell worked as an instructor at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He subsequently served on the veterinary faculties of Kansas State and Iowa State universities, as an assistant professor and associate professor in diagnostic pathology, respectively. From 1968-73, Dr. Bicknell was a professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at South Dakota State University. He then served 25 years as a professor in the Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology at the University of Arizona.

Dr. Bicknell was a life member and a past president of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War. Memorials, toward the Kansas State University Foundation, may be made c/o Lee Weide, 6738 Flush Road, St. George, KS 66535.

Eugene Branscum

Dr. Branscum (Purdue '76), 75, Decaturville, Tennessee, died October 4, 2024. Following graduation, he worked briefly in Indiana. Dr. Branscum then moved to Parsons, Tennessee, where he practiced for 45 years. His wife, Lauralei; a son, a daughter, and a stepdaughter; six grandchildren; and a brother survive him.

Katherine S. Gloyd

Dr. Gloyd (Texas A&M '76), 73, Wilmington, Delaware, died October 5, 2024. Following graduation, she practiced in St. Petersburg, Florida, for seven years. During that time, Dr. Gloyd also served three years as director of the veterinary technology program at St. Petersburg College. She subsequently worked a year as a professional services manager for Hills Pet Nutrition. From 1984-97, Dr. Gloyd served as vice president of Veterinary Learning Systems. She then co-founded Gloyd Group Inc., which was later renamed Elevate DVM with her husband, Dr. Joe S. Gloyd (Colorado State '61).

Active in organized veterinary medicine, Dr. Gloyd helped establish and served as the first executive director of the Companion Animal Parasite Council. She also served several years as executive director of the American Heartworm Society and was a consultant for the American Association of Veterinary State Boards' Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) program. Dr. Gloyd is survived by her husband, a son, three stepdaughters, seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 1314 Foulk Road, Wilmington, DE 19803.

James A. Hall

Dr. Hall (Texas A&M '75), 78, Houston, died September 9, 2024. He practiced mixed animal medicine at Dayton Veterinary Clinic in Dayton, Texas, with his wife, Dr. Donna Kay Hall (Texas A&M '75), prior to retirement. Dr. Hall is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter, three grandchildren, two brothers, and a sister. Memorials, toward the Veterinary Medicine Class of '75 Endowed Scholarship #34263, may be made to the Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, TX 77840.

Harvey W. Hayden

Dr. Hayden (Pennsylvania '57), 91, Sharon, Connecticut, died May 10, 2024. He was the founder of Sharon Veterinary Clinic where he worked until 2023. Earlier in his career, Dr. Hayden practiced small animal medicine in Concord, Massachusetts, and served in the Air Force. His wife, Kathryn, and his family survive him. Memorials may be made to the Sharon Fire Department, P.O. Box 357, Sharon, CT 06069.

Eugene W. Plegge

Dr. Plegge (Missouri '58), 89, Linn, Missouri, died September 13, 2024. Following graduation, he served in the Air Force, attaining the rank of captain. Dr. Plegge subsequently worked a year in Windsor, Missouri. He then established a clinic in Linn, where he practiced until retirement in 1999. Active in his community, Dr. Plegge served several terms on the local school board and was a member of the Masonic Lodge and Lions Club. He is survived by his wife, Evelyn; a daughter and a son; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children, Office of Development, International Shrine Headquarters, 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

George C. Scott

Dr. Scott (Illinois '52), 97, West Grove, Pennsylvania, died September 7, 2024. He served as director of SmithKline's animal research farm in West Chester, Pennsylvania, for 30 years prior to retirement. Prior to that, Dr. Scott practiced in Illinois at El Paso and Rushville. A World War II veteran, he served in the Navy. Dr. Scott's wife, Shirley; four daughters and two sons; nine grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and a sister survive him.

James A. Sweeney

Dr. Sweeney (Iowa State '64), 92, Bloomington, Minnesota, died July 29, 2024. In 1970, he co-established Bloomington Veterinary Hospital with his brother, Dr. William Sweeney (Iowa State '67). Earlier in his career, Dr. Sweeney worked in Wisconsin in Greendale and Brookfield. He retired in 2009. Dr. Sweeney was a lifetime member of the Minnesota VMA. He served in the Army from 1952-56.

Dr. Sweeney is survived by his wife, Lois; a daughter, two stepdaughters, and a stepson; and seven grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Living Well Disability Services, 1168 Northland Drive, Mendota Heights, MN 55120; Nativity of Mary Catholic Church, 9900 Lyndale Ave. S., Bloomington, MN 55420; or Partnership Resources Inc., an organization supporting people with disabilities, and sent to 1069 10th Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.

Henry J. Travis

Dr. Travis (Cornell '74), 75, Centerport, New York, died October 10, 2024. Following graduation, he joined Fort Hill Animal Hospital in Huntington, New York, eventually taking ownership of the practice. Dr. Travis worked 50 years at the hospital until his death. He was a past chair of the advisory council for Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine's Baker Institute for Animal Health. Dr. Travis also lent his time to the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in Smithtown, New York, and served on its advisory council. He is survived by his wife, Karen; a son and two daughters; and four grandchildren. One daughter, Dr. Lyndsey Travis (Ross '06), is also a veterinarian.

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

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