In Memory – Dr. Thomas A. Bryan, Retired Purdue Avian Diagnostician

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine community mourns the passing of a dedicated poultry veterinarian and esteemed avian diagnostician, Dr. Thomas A. Bryan, who passed away Feb. 21, 2025 in Carmel, Indiana, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 81.

A native of Scott City, Kansas, Dr. Bryan devoted his career to veterinary medicine, specializing in poultry health. He worked as a Purdue avian diagnostician for the Heeke Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) at the Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center (SIPAC) in Dubois County, and served Indiana and the poultry industry with dedication for 30 years before retiring in 2011.

Dr. Bryan is remembered for the great joy he derived from driving his truck through the hills of southern Indiana to visit his poultry “patients.” Through his work at Purdue, he made significant contributions to his field, particularly in avian disease prevention.

In 1994, working with the turkey industry, Dr. Bryan and colleague Tom Hooper helped recognize turkey coronavirus and developed diagnostic tests that assisted in the disease being eradicated from Indiana. Dr. Bryan received the Indiana State Poultry Association’s prestigious Golden Egg Award in recognition of his groundbreaking avian coronavirus research and his impact on poultry health and disease control.

Dr. Bryan also was known as a quiet and thoughtful man who cherished his family and was deeply dedicated to his work, faith, and values. He taught Sunday school at Huntingburg United Methodist Church in Huntingburg, Indiana, for more than 35 years, and devoted many Saturdays to the church’s work at Maple Grove Campground.

A service to celebrate Dr. Bryan’s life was held at Huntingburg United Methodist Church Thursday, Feb. 27. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Maple Grove Campground and Foundation or the Carmel United Methodist Food Pantry at CarmelUMC.org, in honor of his lifelong dedication to faith and service. Bussell Family Funerals is handling arrangements. Click here to view a complete obituary.

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

Recent Stories

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

This week we want to give a big “high five” to Craig Weiderhaft who is a phone communications and front desk representative at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.

Dogs across the Midwest find customized care at the Evan and Sue Ann Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center

Studying canine cancer — including personalizing treatments, honing protocols and exploring new drugs, all of which will shed light on human cancer care — is the focus of veterinary researchers at a specialized center at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Faculty and staff contributions move Purdue Veterinary Medicine toward goal for Purdue United Way Campaign

With the 2026 Purdue United Way Campaign in full swing, Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty and staff participation is advancing the college toward its campaign support goal. At the halfway point of the campaign, figures show the college is nearly halfway to its goal of raising $20,000.

In Memory – Dr. Raymond E. Plue (PU DVM ’68)

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine community is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Raymond E. Plue, who was a generous, fun-loving, adventuresome and larger-than-life alumnus. Dr. Plue passed away Saturday, October 10, 2026, in Columbia, Missouri. He was 81.

Annual Dr. Skip Jackson Dog Jog grows in participation and dollars raised

The numbers are in from the 2026 Dr. Skip Jackson Dog Jog and they paint a beautiful picture of a very successful event, both in terms of the number of human and canine participants and the funds raised for Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Priority 4 Paws shelter medicine program. Beautiful weather and the enthusiasm of both dogs and runners contributed to the fun and excitement of the annual 5K run/walk, which generated numerous fun photo ops and raised significant funds for a good cause.