Skip to main content

In Memory: Dr. David F. Nahrwold (PU DVM ’78)

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine community is saddened to learn that a dedicated and loyal alumnus, Dr. David Nahrwold, of Woodburn, Indiana, died October 4. He was 69.

portrait of Dr. Nahrwold

A native of Ossian, Indiana, Dr. Nahrwold earned his Purdue DVM degree in 1978 and went into private practice, serving at the Shelbyville Animal Clinic in Shelbyville, Indiana and the Manchester Veterinary Clinic before establishing the Maumee Valley Veterinary Clinic in Woodburn in 1987. His veterinary career spanned 45 years, 35 of which were spent at his practice in Woodburn. 

Dr. Nahrwold also was a regular, with his wife, Elaine, at veterinary-related events including Indiana Veterinary Medical Association conferences and events, Purdue Veterinary Conferences, and Purdue Veterinary Alumni Association activities. Fittingly, their son, Seth, also pursued a career in veterinary medicine and became a fellow Boilermaker, earning his Purdue DVM degree in 2013 and later joining the family practice, which he now owns and operates. 

As dedicated as Dr. Nahrwold was to his work as a veterinarian, he also was committed to his faith. He is remembered for his active involvement in his church, his love for his family, and his concern for others that led him to share his faith wherever he could. He also loved fishing with his grandkids, working in his garden, and raising fruit trees. 

Memorials may be made to the Purdue Foundation for the Veterinary Medicine Class of 1978 Fund or to the Ascension Lutheran Church, 8811 St. Joe Road, Ft. Wayne, IN 46835. 

The Dooley Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. 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.