In Memory: Dr. Terry Brandenburg (PU DVM ’76)

January 15, 2021

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine family is saddened to learn that alumnus Terry Brandenburg, of Carmel, Ind., passed away on January 4. He was 69. 

Born in Lafayette, Ind., Dr. Brandenburg came to Purdue after graduating from Muncie Central High School and earned his DVM degree in 1976. He worked as an equine veterinarian for 43 years and owned an equine practice in Lebanon, Ind.  Dr. Brandenburg was known and respected for his knowledgeable, practical, and dedicated approach. He retired in 2019, following a career in which he was highly regarded for being very understanding toward his clients and caring as much for them as he did for their animals.

Remembered as a generous, kind, and principled man who always took the lead and was there to take care of people in need, Dr. Brandenburg was loved for how he made everyone feel valued and had the strength and patience to give thoughtful and tough advice. A loyal Purdue fan, Dr. Brandenburg never missed a game, regardless of whether he was at home or in Mexico, where he and his wife, Sue, enjoyed spending winters at their home in Mazatlan.

Dr. Brandenburg stayed very active. A 38-year member of the Lebanon Rotary Club, Dr. Brandenburg served as chair and host of the traditional Octoberfest for the club for a number of years in addition to taking part in many service projects.  He also loved canoeing the Boundary Waters on the Minnesota-Canada border and was an avid pickleball player in both Indianapolis and Mazatlan.  In addition, he and Sue loved taking their horses camping and trail riding all over the country.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Indiana United Methodist Children’s Home, Inc. and the Dr. Andy Lavignette Fund at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, which supports veterinary students in need of help to cover an emergency.  Gifts to the Lavignette Fund can be made by check, payable to the Purdue Foundation, with a notation on the memo line that the contribution is for the College of Vet Med A. Lavignette Emergency Fund, and sent to Purdue Foundation, Gift Processing, PO Box 772401, Detroit, MI 48277-2401.

Friends and colleagues are invited to visit the website of the Strawmyer & Drury Mortuary at strawmyerdrury.com, to sign the online register and leave a personal message. Click here for a complete obituary.

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

Recent Stories

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

Behind the scenes, Alicia Williams has been making PVM a kinder, stronger place.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Computational Biologist Uses Big Data, AI and Math to Find Patterns in Cancer

With recent advances, cancer research now generates vast amounts of information. The data could help researchers detect patterns in cancer cells and stop their growth, but the sheer volume is just too much for the human mind to digest. Enter Nadia Lanman, research associate professor in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, whose expertise in computational biology helps researchers at Purdue University distill solutions from the sea of numbers.

Purdue to Host Fourth Annual Antimicrobial Conference in February

With leadership by the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, the Fourth Annual Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) will be held at Purdue University West Lafayette February 25–26, 2026. With multidrug-resistant infections on the rise globally, this event brings together experts and practitioners across the spectrum of human, animal, and environmental health to address one of today’s most urgent public health challenges.

PVM Well-represented by Humans and Animals During Annual Homecoming Celebrations

Every fall, Boilermakers from near and far return to the campus in West Lafayette for the annual ritual known as Homecoming. And Purdue’s Homecoming events also attract plenty of non-alumni who are Purdue fans, patrons, prospective students, or clients of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital. During this year’s Homecoming weekend October 24-25, Purdue Veterinary Medicine engaged with attendees in multiple ways, with the help of some furry companions.

Purdue University and Akston Biosciences Bring “First Dose of Hope” in New Cancer Immunotherapy Trial for Dogs with Urinary Bladder Cancer

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, in partnership with Akston Biosciences Corporation, has initiated the enrollment of dogs with urinary bladder cancer in a clinical trial of a pioneering immunotherapy. The strategic partnership between Purdue and Akston was announced in August after the underlying technology was developed at the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR).

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

Today we share appreciation for Beth Laffoon, MS, RVT, and Holly McCalip, BS, RVT, who are both instructional technologists in the Veterinary Nursing Program.

MMAS Symposium Brings Participants Face to Face with Specialists and Species from Parrots to Pocket Pets

Thanks to Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Exotic Animal Club and dedicated faculty, staff and students, nearly 100 in-person and on-line participants got a chance recently to gain valuable knowledge and insight about the Medicine of Mammalian and Avian Species. The two-day educational event known as the MMAS Symposium is a biennial conference, and the 2024 edition held in Lynn Hall November 9 and 10 featured an impressive program that included 22 lectures and several hands-on labs, organized into two tracks focusing on avian and mammalian species.

Veterinary Boilermakers Take Part in Purdue One Health Alumni Reunion

Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff and students turned out for Purdue University’s first One Health Alumni Reunion, which was held on the West Lafayette campus November 14-16. They joined more than 150 Boilermakers from a variety of medical professions who came together to network and participate in timely discussions with Purdue President Mung Chiang, First Lady Kei Hui and fellow alumni.