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” 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.