Donald Holmes
1-13-2020
Donald Holmes, 89, was born in Manford, OK, on September 12, 1930, to Raymond and Cornelia Holmes and passed away on January 13, 2020, in Wichita, KS. Following the receipt of his DVM degree from OSU in 1954, he moved to Norman, OK, where he worked in a mixed animal veternary practice. While in Norman, he met Mary Winton Whitaker, and they married in 1956. Shortly thereafter, he was drafted into the US Army as a 1st Lieutenant. He was stationed at Letterman Army Hospital and served as chief of the Experimental Animal Hospital and was responsible for establishing the hospital's Surgical Research Unit. Following his discharge from the US Army, the family moved back to Oklahoma; and Don earned the MS degree in Veterinary Pathology from Oklahoma State University in 1962. Don was considered by his peers to be a pioneer in laboratory animal research. From 1962-1965, Don worked as the first lab animal veterinarian at the Civil Aeromedical Research Institute at the Federal Aviation Agency in Oklahoma City. Don's next position was a split appointment between the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the University of Oklahoma Veterans Administration Medical Center. In 1966, Donald became a diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. The Holmes family moved back to Stillwater; and from 1979 to 1986, Donald served as the director of Laboratory Animal Resources and professor of Veterinary Pathology at OSU's Center for Veterinary Health Sciences. Donald authored a reference book entitled Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine: An Introduction, which has been distributed internationally. His final position (1986-1993) before retiring was Chief Veterinary Medical Officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, DC. Following this position, Donald and Mary moved back to Stillwater where he began his retirement. In 2010, the VA recognized Donald's commitment and dedication to the VA Veterinary Medical Units with the establishment of the Laboratory Animal Medical Refrence Library in his name. Donald was a member of numerous veterinary professional associations and organizations. During his retirement, Donald was a member of several local associations, including the OSU Emeriti Assocation of which he served as the 1998-1999 president. The OSU Alumni Association recognized Donald in 2016 as an outstanding alum. In 2012, Donald and Mary moved to Wichita, KS, to be close to family. Donald was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Cornelia, his wife, Mary, and his brother, Dale. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Philip and Noelle and his daughter and son-in-law, Carolyn and Christopher Layden as well as five grandchildren and a close cousin.