Dudley Errol Johnston, BVSC, MVSC, AM, DIP. ACVS, DIP. ECVS
Dr. Dudley E. Johnston, emeritus professor of surgery, passed away on January 31, 2020, in Wellington, Florida, at 87.
Johnston grew up on a rural dairy farm in NSW, Australia and graduated at the top of his class from the University of Sydney as a veterinarian at age 20. As a private practitioner in Hamilton, Victoria, he cared for the prime minister’s sheep flocks and served as official veterinarian of the Melbourne Cup. Johnston, on a scholarship from the Australian government, was later awarded his MVSc degree from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Toronto.
Johnston returned to Australia in 1964 and was appointed head of surgery and radiology at the new Melbourne Veterinary School, where he taught and designed the surgical facilities. In 1968, he became a Charter Diplomate of the newly formed American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Johnston spent a sabbatical year at Penn Vet performing large animal surgery. Later, in 1970, he was named to Penn Vet’s faculty as professor of surgery and head of small animal surgery and director of Ryan Hospital in Philadelphia. Johnston developed the first emergency trauma center for small animals, which led to his clinical research interest in wound healing and reconstructive surgery.
Johnston received Penn Vet’s 1979 Norden (now Zoetis) Teaching Award and the Class of 1988 Veterinary Student Government Award for Excellence in Teaching. He published more than 50 articles in refereed journals, and 34 chapters in textbooks, presented more than 200 seminars on surgery in 22 countries, and edited four books. He founded The Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian, where he served as editor-inchief for 15 years. Johnston was elected to the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society of International Scholars to recognize contributions to international scholarship and education.
In 1988, Johnston took a sabbatical to teach the first graduating class of the new Koret School of Veterinary Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he was later offered their first professor of veterinary surgery position. After 21 years at Penn Vet, he retired as emeritus professor and moved his family to Israel in 1991.
During his tenure at Koret, Johnston was instrumental in getting the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS) to approve a surgical residency program under his direction. The program allowed Israeli surgical residents to become diplomats of the ECVS. In 1997, Johnston was elected president of the ECVS and later served as chair of the Board of Regents.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Eileen V’73, and their sons Danvers E. Johnston, PhD, GR’08, and Michael A. Johnston; his daughters Julie, Christina, and Vicki from Australia; 10 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
A. Gary Lavin, V’62
Dr. A. Gary Lavin of Louisville, Kentucky, died on February 27, 2021. He was 83 years old. Born in New Orleans and raised in Arkansas, Gavin earned his VMD from Penn Vet in 1962.
In an interview by the University of Kentucky’s Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Lavin recalled his arrival at veterinary school as a time of advancing surgical techniques in equines. “When I got to Penn, that was the summer that Tim Tam broke down in the [1958] Belmont and he went to the University of Pennsylvania for his surgery,” said Lavin. “I always marked that time, when it made the front page of the Daily Racing Forum for days and weeks that people knew it was possible.”
Lavin’s long career as a practitioner and surgeon was accompanied by a dedication to the sport that led him to accept many roles and challenges. He served terms as president of both the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and was vice-chairman of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and a director of the Keeneland Association.
In 1994, Lavin became the first veterinarian elected to the Jockey Club, and later became a steward of that organization. He also served on the boards of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and the Breeders’ Cup. Lavin was a Distinguished Life Member of the AAEP, recipient of the Distinguished Practitioner Award of the Kentucky Equine Practitioners, and the namesake of the Lavin Cup for Equine Welfare established by the AAEP. Recognized for his “myriad of accomplishments, immeasurable regard among peers, and strong commitment to equine welfare management,” Lavin was honored with Penn Vet’s 1997 Bellwether Medal for his extraordinary devotion to the School and to the veterinary profession.
Lavin and Betsy, his wife of 60 years, owned Longfield Farm in Goshen, Kentucky, and raised innumerable stakes winners. He is survived by Betsy, two children, and six grandchildren.
Hear more about Lavin’s career in Life’s Work: Reflections on Life in the Equine Industry Oral History Project, produced by the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky: kentuckyoralhistory.org (search “Interview with Gary Lavin”).
Lawrence Otis Graham, ESQ.
Board of Advisor Lawrence Otis Graham, Esq., passed away on February 19, 2021 in Chappaqua, New York, at 59.
Graham was raised in Westchester County, New York and practiced corporate and real estate law at Manhattan-based Cuddy & Feder, LLP. He was a man of extraordinary brightness, curiosity, and compassion. Graham published 14 bestselling books. His essay Invisible Man appeared in the August 17, 1992 issue of New York magazine chronicling his one-month undercover experience as a country club staffer at an all-white country club. That piece served as the foundation for his 1995 book Member of the Club: Reflections on Life in a Racially Polarized World.
A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Graham was an educator and authority on race, class, and politics in America. He taught African American Studies and American Government at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. Graham brought visibility to contemporary societal and cultural issues as contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report and Westchester magazine, and as a commentator for Westchester’s News12 and Apple podcast’s Justice.
“We have been so very fortunate to have known Mr. Graham and to have benefitted from his wisdom, his support, and his undeniable warmth. He was an incredibly passionate man; his energy and focus lit up a room,” said Dean Andrew M. Hoffman. “Mr. Graham joined our Board of Advisors under the leadership of former Board Chair Mindy Halikman Heyer. His belief in Penn Vet was steadfast; and he was particularly excited about our growing potential for societal impact. I am grateful for the wonderful conversations that we had, and the enthusiasm that he imparted to the Board, our leadership, faculty, and students.”
Pace University, in 2014, bestowed Graham the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for his commitment to inclusion. Graham’s colleagues at Cuddy & Feder, LLP remarked that his “enthusiastic and energetic community efforts were rooted in his belief that one must give back and make a difference in the lives of people. Larry’s intelligence, vision and sensitivity resonated particularly in his dedication to telling the story of uniquely human experiences and the search for equity for all people.”
Graham is survived by his wife of 29 years, Pamela Thomas-Graham, and their children Gordon, Harrison, and Lindsey.
Kaitlyn O’Hara, CVT
Kaitlyn O’Hara, CVT, 27, an anesthesiology nurse at Ryan Hospital, died on February 3, 2021, while trying to rescue a stray cat from a highway in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
O’Hara joined Penn Vet in 2017 and became an anesthesia veterinary technician. “It’s not surprising that she’s on one of the busiest roads in New Jersey, trying to get a hurt animal off the road. That’s who she was,” said Giacomo Gianotti, the hospital’s head of anesthesia and associate professor of clinical anesthesiology. “And it wasn’t just animals. Everything she did was to help others.”
O’Hara was a volunteer at Randall’s Rescue of Mount Laurel, New Jersey. She devoted her life to helping abandoned cats. “She fostered countless cats,” said O’Hara’s family in a tribute. “She was thought of as the ‘cat whisperer’ for her ability to get these vulnerable, terrified babies to trust her.”
O’Hara is survived by her parents, Joseph and Melissa O’Hara; her fiancé, Edward Bonen, and her three siblings.
To honor Kaitlyn’s memory, her colleagues at Ryan Hospital have established a fund in her name. Visit giving.apps.upenn.edu (search for “Kaitlyn’s Kitties Good Samaritan Fund”) or call Helen Radenkovic at 215-898-2029.
Teresa L. Scott, CVT
Teresa L. Scott, CVT, of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, an anesthesiology service supervisor at Ryan Hospital, died March 7, 2021. She was 63.
Scott spent more than a decade at MBNA America leading travel policy and procurement as Vice President of Corporate Travel Services. Mid-career and driven by a desire to help animals, Scott pursued her Associate Degree from Harcum College’s Veterinary Nursing Program. She joined Penn Vet in 2002, progressing through a series of positions, before becoming supervisor.
Scott made a difference in so many lives over the course of her beautiful life. She will be remembered not only for her strength and magnetism but for her unwavering sense of service and empathy.
“Teresa was such a sweet and compassionate person,” said Ryan Hospital’s Director of Nursing Rosemary Lombardi. “She always made time for you. If you needed help, she was always there to support you. I will miss how she could make me laugh, even on my worst day. Teresa was a very well-regarded member of our Penn Vet family, and she will be so truly missed.”
Scott is survived by her sisters (Kathryn) Lucille Fillman, Connie Fillman, and Sheila Johnson. She is preceded in death by her parents, Kathryn and Earl Fillman.