In Memory – Dr. David Barkman (PU DVM ’73)

March 8, 2024

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine community is saddened to learn of the passing of a member of the DVM Class of 1973, Dr. David Lyle Barkman, of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Dr. Barkman died January 16, 2024, at the age of 76.

A native of Rochester, Indiana, Dr. Barkman was raised on a farm where he learned the value of hard work and developed a strong sense of family. After earning his BS degree in the College of Agriculture at Purdue University, he enrolled in the College of Veterinary medicine and received his DVM Degree in 1973.

He is remembered for the passion he demonstrated in caring for pets and equally for their owners. After serving in the United States Air Force for two years at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, he moved his young family to Alabama for an internship at Auburn University. Then in 1976, the family moved to Fayetteville where he started working at Highland Animal Hospital. He helped care for thousands of four-legged family members and their owners for 48 years. Known for being warm, funny and always compassionate, Dr. Barkman lived out a passion and love for his job that inspired two sons and one grandson to follow in his footsteps.

Dr. Barkman treasured family times whether it was cheering for his grandkids at a game or taking everyone to the beach, where they built sandcastles and caught crabs. His competitive nature was reflected in his commitment to playing basketball with friends at church or in someone’s backyard or playing racquetball at a sports center.

Dr. Barkman also was active in his church where he sang in the choir, taught Sunday school and was willing to work alongside others to do any project necessary to help maintain the church or care for another church member. Additionally, he was a dedicated volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and other organizations. A lover of adventure, he traveled the world extensively accompanied by his wife Karen.

A memorial service was held at Haymount United Methodist Church January 20. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dr. Barkman’s memory may be made to Haymount United Methodist Church to continue his legacy in mission work.

Click here to view a complete obituary.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

“Paws Up” for Jennifer Danaher – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week we express our gratitude to Jennifer Danaher, who is department secretary for Veterinary Clinical Sciences.

‘Purdue Pursuits’: A PVM angle on Purdue’s teaching and learning reading groups

Crafting meaningful and engaging course experiences has been at the top of Dielson Vieira’s mind ever since he joined the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s faculty in 2024. As a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Vieira is already adept at applying innovative teaching practices to classroom environments, but that doesn’t stop him from seeking out new ideas, approaches and perspectives — insights he gains through outlets like Purdue’s teaching and learning reading groups.

Top tier biology journal publishes PVM study that unlocks secrets of a drug-resistant fungal pathogen, which causes serious infections in humans

Though the name “Candida auris” is far from a household term, public health experts know it well because the multi-drug-resistant fungal pathogen, which causes serious human infections, has been classified as an urgent threat by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Antibiotic Threats Report (2019). Dr. Shankar Thangamani, Associate Professor of Microbiology and University Faculty Scholar in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology, is researching C. auris, aided by a 2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). New research findings, just published in Nature Microbiology, show how C. auris adapts and evades the immune system.

In Print: ‘Translational Research Methods for Tauopathies’

A just-published 300-page volume edited by Jessica Fortin, Purdue assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Basic Medical Sciences, provides a significant new resource for researchers studying a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies. “Translational Research Methods for Tauopathies” provides detailed protocols intentionally selected to serve as a basis for research laboratories seeking to further treatments for such debilitating neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer’s and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

It’s Almost Here!

Though the annual Purdue Veterinary Conference is almost upon us, there’s still time to register and take advantage of this time-honored College of Veterinary Medicine fall tradition that combines excellent continuing education with fun opportunities for reconnecting with colleagues and classmates, networking, and learning about the latest veterinary trends and products. The 2026 Purdue Veterinary Conference takes place September 23–26 on the Purdue University campus. The annual event has something for everyone, from veterinarians to veterinary technicians, faculty, staff and students.