In Memory – January 1, 2026

Robert E. Atwood

Dr. Atwood (Michigan State '66), 90, North Andover, Massachusetts, died June 5, 2025. He practiced small and equine medicine in Massachusetts. Dr. Atwood was a veteran of the Marine Corps. His wife, Albertine; two sons and a daughter; two grandchildren; and a great-grandchild survive him.

Robert W. Carithers

Dr. Carithers (Iowa State '56), 93, West Des Moines, Iowa, died November 11, 2025. Following graduation, he served in the Army Veterinary Corps. Dr. Carithers subsequently joined Rivervale Veterinary Clinic in Union, Iowa, where he practiced mixed animal medicine for seven years. After receiving his master's in veterinary anatomy from the University of Missouri, he went on to earn his doctorate in biomedical engineering and veterinary clinical sciences from Iowa State University (ISU), where he served on the faculty for 26 years, retiring as professor emeritus in 1994. During his tenure, Dr. Carithers taught veterinary students medicine and neurology, mentored students in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and taught biomedical engineering to graduate students. He received the Amoco Teacher of the Year Award in 1982 and the ISU Veterinary Medical Alumni Association's Outstanding Service Award in 1988.

Dr. Carithers was a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. His wife, Jeanine; two sons; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren survive him. One son, Dr. Doug Carithers (Iowa State '84), is also a veterinarian. Memorials, toward the Robert W. Carithers ISU Vet Med Memorial, may be made to the ISU Foundation, 2505 University Blvd., Ames, IA 50010.

Norman R. Miller

Dr. Miller (Michigan State '54), 96, Fort Myers, Florida, died July 7, 2025. Following graduation, he served in the Army. Dr. Miller subsequently founded Maplewood Animal Hospital in Muncie, Indiana, where he practiced until retirement. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; four children and two stepchildren; six grandchildren and five step grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Ding Darling Wildlife Society, P.O. Box 565, Sanibel, FL 33957.

Niels Ole Nielsen

Dr. Nielsen (Guelph '56), 95, Edmonton, Alberta, died May 29, 2025. From 1985-94, he served as dean of the University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). As dean, Dr. Nielsen advanced the disciplines of comparative medicine and ecosystem health, leading to the establishment of the One Health Institute at Guelph. He was also instrumental in the founding of the Department of Population Medicine and supported the creation of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative and OVC Pet Trust.

Following graduation, Dr. Nielsen joined a practice in Barrhead, Alberta. He subsequently earned a doctorate in veterinary pathology in 1963 from the University of Minnesota, became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, and joined the founding faculty of the University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) as an associate professor of veterinary pathology. From 1974-82, Dr. Nielsen served as dean of WCVM. As dean, he helped establish the university's Toxicology Center and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. Dr. Nielsen went on to become dean the OVC.

Active in organized veterinary medicine, he was a past president of the Canadian VMA and was a past chair of the former International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases and the Alberta Veterinary Medicine Steering Committee that led to the establishment of the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Nielsen is survived by a daughter, two sons, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and three sisters. Memorials may be made to The McEachran Institute, an organization focusing on One Health initiatives, and sent to 1859 Delanice Way, Nanoose Bay, British Columbia V9P 9B3, Canada.

Larry M. O'Connor

Dr. O'Connor (Iowa State '63), 86, Barling, Arkansas, died April 29, 2025. He worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Joplin, Missouri, prior to retirement. Earlier in his career, Dr. O'Connor practiced in Independence, Missouri; Kansas City, Kansas; and Honolulu. His three daughters, a brother, and two sisters survive him.

Edward A. Rhode

Dr. Rhode (Cornell '47), 99, Davis, California, died November 10, 2025. A founding faculty member of the University of California-Davis (UC-Davis) School of Veterinary Medicine, he served as dean of the veterinary school from 1982-91. As dean, Dr. Rhode helped establish the Computer Assisted Learning Facility within the veterinary school's Office of Instruction, to develop multimedia aids and support computer-aided instruction in the DVM curriculum.

Following graduation, he practiced a year in Vermont, subsequently serving three years as a clinical instructor at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. In 1951, Dr. Rhode joined the veterinary faculty at UC-Davis as a large animal ambulatory clinician.

During his four-decade tenure, he served as chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences and associate dean of instruction. He was involved in developing and planning facilities for the veterinary school, including the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. While serving as associate dean of instruction, Dr. Rhode promoted the evolution of specialty clinical disciplines in the teaching hospital. With his research focused on cardiology, he also developed a cardiopulmonary laboratory and established the clinical cardiology service. Dr. Rhode was a charter diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in cardiology.

Active in organized veterinary medicine, he served on the AVMA Council on Education from 1991-97, chairing it in 1996. Dr. Rhode also served on the board of governors of the California VMA. He was a past chair of what is now known as the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and was a past president of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges.

Dr. Rhode is survived by his wife, Dolores; four sons and a daughter; and six grandchildren.

Richard M. Robinson

Dr. Robinson (Texas A&M '62), 94, College Station, Texas, died May 21, 2025. Following graduation and after earning his doctorate in pathology in 1968 from Texas A&M University, he worked in the Pathology Department in the university's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Robinson subsequently joined the Pathology Department in the newly established Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, remaining there until retirement. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, he authored several research papers on white-tailed deer diseases. Dr. Robinson volunteered at animal shelter health clinics in Texas's Brazos Valley for several years. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Dorthea B. Trevino Robinson (Texas A&M '68), also a veterinarian; four children; and four grandchildren.

Please report the death of a veterinarian to the AVMA News staff via a toll-free phone call at 800-248-2862, ext. 6754; email at newsavma[dot] 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.