When Jean Chaille talks about her late husband, Rick, she returns again and again to the same qualities — his kindness, his faithfulness, his playful mischievousness and the simple way that he made people feel respected. “He was always looking for ways to be helpful,” she says. “He was compassionate and had a gift for connecting with people.”
Those traits defined Dr. Richard Chaille (PU DVM ’78) and his career in veterinary medicine — a career that reflected a family connection to veterinary medicine dating back to his grandfather, James Chaille, who graduated from the Indianapolis Veterinary College in 1916. By the time Rick began college, Purdue University had a veterinary school, and Rick was admitted after completing two years of prerequisites at Purdue. He also was just a couple years behind his brother, J. Bruce Chaille, (PU DVM ’76).
After Rick graduated in 1978, he initially worked in a mixed practice in Franklin, Indiana — making farm calls and treating everything from cattle to cats. In the summer of 1985, he opened his own small animal practice, Broadway Veterinary Clinic, in his hometown of Anderson, Indiana.
Twenty years later, Rick’s brother Bruce came out of early retirement to help him establish and operate a low-cost spay and neuter clinic, providing the Anderson and Madison County communities support that was sorely needed. This allowed Rick to further cultivate his existing relationships with local shelters and rescue groups by treating underserved animals. After retiring to Columbus, Indiana, in 2016, Rick opened another companion animal clinic, Columbus Veterinary Services — a final chapter in a career built on serving both animals and the people who love them.
“He would stay late to see patients,” Jean says, remembering the many evenings Rick handled emergency appointments himself. “When he first started out, it was a time before there were emergency centers and various specialties. The local veterinarian was expected to handle most situations, and he was dedicated to doing his best. Many times, he pulled out his textbooks to study how to approach a surgery or treatment so that he would be certain to get it right.”
For the Chaille family, those long days and late nights weren’t burdens; they were evidence of how seriously Rick took his responsibility to his clients.
A Family Shaped by Veterinary Life
Of Rick and Jean’s five children, two followed in their father’s footsteps, and earned their DVM degrees from Purdue. Dr. Jack Chaille (PU DVM 2014), and Dr. JR Chaille (PU DVM 2017), grew up in the rhythm of their father’s practice — the early mornings, the after-hours emergencies, the time spent assisting during appointments and procedures. Most importantly, they learned what it means to earn a client’s trust.
“Working alongside my dad helped me to realize my own calling in veterinary medicine,” says Jack, who operates his own practice, Best Friends Animal Healthcare, in Columbus. Being in their father’s clinic taught both Jack and JR how meaningful — and how demanding — the work could be. Rick’s approach to practice became a model for his sons as they entered veterinary school and embarked on their own careers.
JR married his fellow DVM classmate, Dr. Justine Gullaba, (PU DVM 2017), and they worked alongside Rick at Columbus Veterinary Services, before buying the practice a few years ago.
“My dad would get to know clients on a personal level,” JR says. “He believed that cultivating relationships with the human client was as important as providing the best possible care for their pet. That’s something I endeavor to carry forward in my own practice.”
At home, Rick found small, quiet joys like catching an early-morning sunrise while kayaking on Grandview Lake with his beloved Goldendoodle, Beans. “He would even go out in the winter when there was ice on the lake,” Jean says. “He ruined many kayak paddles, using them to chop through the ice and get to the open water in the center of the lake.”
A Legacy Carried Forward
When Rick died in August 2024, the family directed gifts in his memory toward the College of Veterinary Medicine. “Quite a few people donated,” Jean says. “There were contributions from family, friends, clients and former colleagues. We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and generosity.”
Rick and Jean had toured the new Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex after it opened in 2022, and Jean recalls Rick being amazed at the state-of-the-art facilities and opportunities available for today’s veterinary students. “Rick really enjoyed his time in vet school,” Jean says. “The relationships he formed at Purdue continued throughout his life.” She also remembers that it always was a priority to come back for the annual Purdue Veterinary Conference every year, and, though the continuing education was valued, the emphasis was on getting together with friends and classmates, including, in particular, Craig and Susan Wardrip and Ray and Becky Pohland.
To honor Rick’s life and the foundational education he received at Purdue, the Chaille family chose to build upon the memorial donations with their own gift. When the college invited the family to direct those contributions to an area that felt meaningful to them, they chose something that aligned with Rick’s own values as a practitioner: the nutrition kitchen inside the Brunner Small Animal Hospital.
“Nutrition was always a priority for Rick,” Jean says. “He often counseled clients on their pet’s weight, diet and the long-term impact of proper care at home.”
The nutrition kitchen provides hands-on training and practical support for clinicians, students and patients — a place where individualized therapeutic nutrition is planned, prepared and integrated into patient care.
Jack sees the impact clearly. “Proper nutrition is foundational to veterinary care,” he says. “Supporting the nutrition kitchen felt like a way to contribute to something both practical and lasting.”
For Jean, the alignment is simple: “Rick believed in doing things the right way,” she says. “A space focused on careful, everyday patient care felt like the right fit.”
In August of 2025, one year after Rick’s passing, the Chaille family visited the college together to remember Dr. Rick Chaille — husband, father, grandfather and beloved veterinarian. They shared stories about his life and career and viewed the nutrition kitchen named in Rick’s memory and in honor of the other Purdue veterinarians in the family. It was a time marked by the warmth of caring and the dignity of honoring a veterinary life well-lived.
Indeed, Rick built his practice the way he lived his life, steady, committed and generous. He was there for his family, his clients, his colleagues and his community — not because he sought praise, but because he believed in doing good work. The Chaille family’s contribution completes a circle: memorial gifts from a community that Rick served now fuel training and services that will benefit animals and families for years to come.
“We just wanted to do something that reflected who he was,” Jean says. “Something that would help others. That’s what Rick always did.”
