In Memoriam

Dr. R. Hardwick Kay ’54 | R. Hardwick Kay, 90, passed away May 7, 2022. After earning his Auburn DVM, he served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War where he served as a captain in the Canine Unit. He later practiced in Corinth, Mississippi, for many years, was active with the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and served on the board of the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association. Survivors include his wife, Kathryn, three children, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. 

Dr. Robert “Bob” Havens Stine ’54 | Robert “Bob” Havens Stine, 90, passed away January 13, 2022. He practiced veterinary medicine along the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coasts for more than 60 years. Survivors include four children, 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. 

Dr. Joseph Frank Gravlee ’56 | Joseph Frank Gravlee, 90, passed away January 23, 2022. After earning his Auburn DVM and practicing for many years, he founded Life Data Labs, Inc., an animal nutrition manufacturing company located in Cherokee, Alabama. As a result, he developed equine nutrition supplements that revolutionized the equine industry. Survivors include his wife, Linda, two sons and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

Dr. Donald Levin Burch, Sr. ’57 | Donald Levin Burch, Sr., 90, passed away on June 14, 2022. He attended the University of Florida prior to earning his DVM at Auburn, then practiced veterinary medicine in Ocala, Florida, before purchasing his own clinic in Live Oak, Florida, where he practiced for more than 40 years. An avid forester as well, he was a member of the Florida Veterinary Association and American Veterinary Association and was recently honored as Suwannee County Forester of the Year. Survivors include his wife, Mary, three children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Dr. Scott Thomas Green ’58 | Scott Thomas Green, 89, passed away August 4, 2022. He attended the University of Kentucky before earning his DVM at Auburn. After graduation, he returned to Frankfort, Kentucky, where he was co-owner of Frankfort Veterinary Clinic. Green was a life member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association. He was twice elected president of the Central Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association and was former president of the Central Kentucky Small Animal Hospital Association. He also served on the board of the Franklin County Health Department for 18 years. Survivors include his wife, Barbara, six children, 11 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, two sisters and a brother. 

Dr. William J. “Max” Ray, Jr. ’58 | William J. “Max” Ray, Jr., 88, passed away May 2, 2022. He graduated from the University of Florida prior to earning his Auburn DVM. He returned to Florida to establish Beach Park Animal Clinic in South Tampa, where he worked until he retired in 2018. Survivors include his wife, Marie, three children, two step-daughters, four grandchildren, a great-grandchild and a brother. 

Dr. Melvin David Stein ’58 | Melvin David Stein, 91, passed away March 22, 2022. He graduated from the University of Alabama prior to earning his DVM at Auburn, then opened his veterinary practice in South Windsor, Connecticut. He later practiced in Florida as well. Survivors include four children and five grandchildren.

Dr. James Robert Grace ’59 | James Robert Grace, 93, passed away April 15, 2022. A U.S. Army veteran, he attended the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky before earning his DVM at Auburn. He then moved back to Louisville, Kentucky, to establish his first clinic and later Audubon Animal Hospital and Cherokee Animal Clinic. Following retirement, he moved to Indian Pass, Florida. Survivors include seven children, 24 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. 

Dr. James Franklin Harwell, Jr. ’60 | James Franklin Harwell, Jr., 86, passed away June 6, 2022. He attended Texas A&M University before earning his DVM at Auburn. After graduation, he served 15 years in the U.S. Air Force and an additional 15 years in the Commission Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. Survivors include his wife, Merrill.

Dr. Richard Emmett Perkins ’60 | Richard Emmett Perkins, 90, passed away January 18, 2022. Prior to attending Auburn, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served in the Korean War. After earning his DVM, he opened a mixed animal practice, Perkins Veterinary Clinic, in Abbeville, Louisiana, from which he retired in 1996. He was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Survivors include two daughters, a son, five grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren. 

Dr. Loran Martin “Hank” Snow ’60 | Loran Martin “Hank” Snow, 86, passed away July 13, 2022. He graduated from the University of Kentucky prior to attending Auburn, then served in the U.S. Air Force after earning his DVM. Following his military service, he entered private practice at the Berclair Animal Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where he spent the rest of his 52-year career. Survivors include two children, three grandchildren, a brother and a sister. 

Dr. Samuel Barrie ’63 | Samuel Barrie Bounds, 83, passed away on January 13, 2022. He attended Mississippi State University prior to earning his Auburn DVM, then joined the veterinary practice of Anderson and Bradshaw in Macon, Mississippi. Later, he became the sole proprietor of the practice, renaming it Noxubee Animal Clinic. Although he had reduced hours and services in recent years, he continued seeing clients until the week of his death. Survivors include three children, seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, two sisters and a brother. 

Dr. Robert Flake Chambliss, Jr. ’63 | Robert Flake Chambliss, Jr., 83, died on May 28, 2022. He completed his pre-vet studies at University of Florida before earning his Auburn DVM. After graduating, he spent one year in Clovis, New Mexico, in a feedlot and ranch practice and two years as Post Veterinarian in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. After his military service, he joined a small animal practice in Dallas, Texas, before moving to Tampa, Florida, to practice at Tampa Veterinary Hospital, where he continued until retirement in 2008. He also served on the Hillsborough County Animal Advisory Committee for several years after retirement. Survivors include his wife, Judy, a daughter, a granddaughter, a step-daughter, four step-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren.

Dr. Lester M. Crawford ’63 | Lester M. Crawford, 83, passed away on December 23, 2021. After earning his Auburn DVM, he later completed a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Georgia and was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the Budapest (Hungary) University of Veterinary Science. The author of more than 100 publications, he was an Honorary Diplomate of the French Academy of Veterinary Medicine, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in the United Kingdom, and a Fellow of the International Society of Food Science and Technology. He was also inducted into the International Academy of Food Science and Nutrition and the National Academies Institute of Medicine and was awarded Honorary Board Certification in the American College of Veterinary Preventative Medicine. At the University of Georgia, he was chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology and associate dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine for 16 years. Other posts included serving as director of food and nutrition policy at Georgetown University, director of the Center of Veterinary Medicine at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service at the USDA, as well as deputy commissioner, acting commissioner and, ultimately, commissioner of the FDA. He also worked at the National Food Processors Association and the Association of American Veterinary Colleges and served as an expert advisor to the World Health Organization, the Singapore FDA and the U.S. Academy of Sciences. Survivors include his wife, Cathy, two daughters, four grandchildren, a sister and a brother. 

Dr. Thomas A. Dees ’65 | Thomas A. Dees, 82, passed away February 4, 2022. He attended the University of Georgia prior to earning his Auburn DVM, then added a master’s degree from Texas A&M University in vaccine science. As a USDA brucellosis epidemiologist, he traveled the southeastern region and many other countries in his pursuit of eradicating transmissible disease in man and animals. He was also a foreign animal diagnostician and he served an extended tour of duty in Vietnam in the Special Forces as a Veterinary Civic Action Veterinarian. After his retirement from the USDA, he worked with the Florida Department of Agriculture on vaccines for pseudorabies in wild hogs. Survivors include his wife, Elaine, four children, two sisters and a brother. 

Dr. Charles W. Erwin ’66 | Charles W. Erwin, 79, passed away October 25, 2020. After earning his DVM from Auburn, he began his career at Mayfield Veterinary Clinic before joining the USDA-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service’s Veterinary Services division. While with the USDA, he joined the U.S. Army, serving in Vietnam with scout dogs, tracker dog teams and sentry dogs. He later returned home and continued his USDA career, working across the Southeast and finally as the foreign animal disease diagnostician for western Kentucky, southern Illinois and west Tennessee, prior to retirement in 1999. Survivors include his wife, Holly, and two children.

Dr. Benjamin Robert Stallard ’66 | Benjamin Robert Stallard, 79, passed away August 2, 2022. He attended Western Kentucky University prior to earning his Auburn DVM, then joined the U.S. Air Force. Following his military service, he opened Middletown Animal Clinic in Middletown, Kentucky. Survivors include two daughters, four grandchildren and three sisters. 

Dr. Jacob James De Jong ’68 | Jacob James De Jong, 91, passed away January 12, 2022. He served in the U.S. Army prior to completing his degree at Iowa State University, then returned to school later to earn his Auburn DVM. After practicing briefly in Perryville, Missouri, he moved to Worthington, Minnesota, where he later became a partner in the Veterinary Medical Center, a large animal practice. Survivors include three sons, two grandchildren, two brothers and a sister. 

Dr. Frank Young Rogers, Sr. ’69 | Frank Young Rogers, Sr., 82, passed away on June 25, 2022. A U.S. Army veteran, he graduated from Mississippi State University prior to earning his DVM at Auburn. Afterwards, he practiced in Eupora, Mississippi, before relocating to the Jackson area, where he became the assistant state veterinarian and later, state veterinarian. His proudest professional accomplishment was leading the effort to eradicate brucellosis in livestock in Mississippi. He later joined the Mississippi Air National Guard and retired as a lieutenant colonel. Survivors include his wife, Wilna, two sons, four grandchildren and a brother.

Dr. Lonnie Richard Smith ’69 | Lonnie Richard Smith, 77, passed away August 17, 2022. He attended pre-veterinarian school at the University of Knoxville prior to earning his Auburn DVM. Afterwards, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he practiced at and owned Hickory Plaza Vet Clinic for almost 50 years. He was a lifetime member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association. Survivors include his wife, Sue, two sons, five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and a brother. 

Dr. Homer Louis Jones, Jr. ’71 | Homer Louis Jones, Jr., 76, passed away March 26, 2022. After graduation from Auburn, he opened Jones Veterinary Hospital in Andalusia, Alabama. Survivors include his partner, Marie, two children, six grandchildren and two sisters. 

Dr. Ronald William Todd, Jr. ’71 | Ronald William Todd, 78, passed away on December 12, 2021. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, he practiced in Miami, Florida, for 45 years after earning his Auburn DVM. He was also an active board member in the South Florida Veterinary Medical Association and the Florida Veterinary Medical Association. Survivors include his wife, Sara, two children and five grandchildren.

Dr. Andrew Wayne Creel ’73 | Andrew Wayne Creel, 76, passed away on August 26, 2022. He graduated from Howard College prior to completing his Auburn DVM, after which he went on to post-doctoral work in canine dentistry. He later opened Haywood Road Animal Hospital and Pet Motel in Greenville, South Carolina, where he practiced until his retirement. In addition to pioneering the field of pet dentistry in the upstate, he was a member of the South Carolina Association of Veterinarians and, in 2012, he was named the South Carolina Veterinarian of the Year. Survivors include two daughters, two grandchildren, a sister and a bother. 

Dr. Ram Chandra Purohit ’74 | Ram Chandra Purohit, 83, passed away June 5, 2022. He earned his BVSc and AH degree from the University of Rajasthan, India, and performed post-graduate work at Washington State University in reproductive physiology. He later completed a PhD at Auburn and a master’s at Tuskegee University. He joined the faculty at the Auburn CVM as an instructor in 1973 and was promoted to full professor in 1983. He was also board certified by the American College of Theriogenology and was awarded specialty board certification by the American Board of Thermology and the American Academy of Thermology. He was selected for the Distinguished Graduate Faculty Lectureship at Auburn in 1994-95 and also served as Alumni Professor 1995-2000. After 32 years as a teacher, clinician and researcher, he was named professor emeritus of the college upon his retirement. Survivors include his wife, Cynthia, three children, seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and two sisters. 

Dr. Kristan “Kris” Hodges, Sr. ’76 | Kristan “Kris” Hodges, Sr., 70, passed away April 12, 2022. Survivors include his wife, two children, four grandchildren and a sister. 

Dr. David Mark Slocum ’80 | David Mark Slocum, 66, passed away December 9, 2021. He graduated from Mississippi State University prior to earning his Auburn DVM and established his first veterinary practice in Coldwater, Mississippi. He later operated a second veterinary practice in Senatobia, Mississippi. Survivors include his mother, a brother, two children and four grandchildren. 

Dr. Michael Lee Thomas ’81 | Michael Lee Thomas, 67, passed away August 24, 2022. He attended the University of Kentucky prior to receiving his Auburn DVM. Following graduation, he practiced at E-town Animal Hospital in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, before retiring in 2017 after serving the community for 36 years. Survivors include his wife, Celia, four daughters, seven grandchildren and three brothers. 

Dr. James Swift Chism ’87 | James Swift Chism, 66, passed away on July 22, 2022. After completing service with the U. S. Marine Corps, he earned his Auburn DVM and purchased a practice in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. Survivors include his wife, Marcia, two daughters, a brother and a sister. 

Dr. Mark Lyle Miller ’87 | Mark Lyle Miller, 59, passed away December, 15, 2021. After earning his DVM, he was a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces. Later, he opened Cahaba Valley Animal Clinic in Birmingham, where he worked for the majority of his career. He was also a founding member of the Emergency and Specialty Animal Medical Center. Survivors include his wife, Midge, a daughter, his parents and a sister. 

Dr. Jennifer Brooke Davis ’09 | Jennifer Brooke Davis, 44, passed away April 16, 2022. She graduated from the University of North Florida, then worked in pharmaceutical research prior to earning her DVM at Auburn. She practiced at Briarcliff Animal Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, before later joining San Jose Beauclerc/Deerwood hospitals in Jacksonville, Florida. She was president of the Jacksonville Veterinary Medical Society and an active member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Veterinary Medical Association. She was also an avid supporter of rescue and shelter endeavors, and was especially active with G.R.E.A.T. Rescue of Northeast Florida. Survivors include her mother and a brother. 

Dr. Kristen Marie Caslowe ’10 | Kristen Marie Caslowe, 37, passed away February 4, 2022. After graduating from the University of Findlay, she earned her Auburn DVM and moved to Franklin, Tennessee, where she first worked with large animals before later working primarily in small animal practice. Survivors include her mother, Janie, and husband, Chris. 

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GLENDA CAROL ALLEN 
BUFFORD 

Glenda Carol Allen Bufford, 81, passed away July 28, 2022. She was an academic advisor in the College of Veterinary Medicine for many years. She is survived by four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 

Our friendship spanned the half century from 1969 when, her office in University Personnel, she informed me of my rights as a 15-year faculty member on the eve of my departure to accept a new position at Cornell University. Nor did it end with my retirement in 1995, by which time she was literally the face of the dean’s office. Ethel had gone to high school with her husband, Matthew, in Tuskegee, and they were like members of my family. 

Requiescat en pace, Glenda Bufford. 

J.T. Vaughan