Skip to main content

In Memory: Dr. Todd Clark (PU DVM ’72), Dr. Susan Babineau (PU DVM ’97), and Dr. Susan Min (PU DVM 2005)

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine family is saddened to learn of the passing of three alumni, Dr. Todd Clark (PU DVM ’72), Dr. Susan Babineau (PU DVM ’97), and Dr. Susan Min (PU DVM 2005).

Dr. Todd Clark (PU DVM ’72)

Dr. Todd Clark of Lafayette, Indiana, passed away Monday, January 10, 2022 at IU Arnett Hospital. He was 73.

Dr. Clark was a 1966 graduate of Horace Mann High School and went on to enroll in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, earning his DVM degree in 1972.  He founded the Creekside Animal Hospital in Lafayette as a solo practitioner in 1982 and worked as a veterinarian there for the remainder of his 50 year veterinary career. His special interests included dermatology (especially working with allergic animals), as well as soft tissue, cosmetic, and reconstructive surgery.  Over time, the hospital grew to become a six doctor practice and is now called the Creekside Animal Hospital and Wellness Center.

In addition to practicing veterinary medicine with dedication and excellence, Dr. Clark also worked as a high school football referee for 41 years, receiving the National Football Foundation Outstanding Game Official Award in 2018 and the 2009 – 2010 Outstanding IHSAA / NFOA Football Officials Award.

Dr. Clark also is remembered for his love of his family including his two-legged and four-legged friends.  An avid golfer, Dr. Clark enjoyed times with his co-workers at Creekside, his golfing buddies, and his officiating friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be directed to Natalie’s Second Chance Shelter, 10 South 16th Street, Lafayette, IN 47905. Memories and condolences may be shared online at www.hippensteelfuneralservice.com.

Dr. Susan Babineau (PU DVM ’97)

Dr. Susan Babineau, of Newport, Vermont, died September 9, 2021. She was 51. A native of Franklin, New Hampshire, Dr. Babineau attended the University of New Hampshire where she graduated with honors before enrolling in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and earning her DVM degree in 1997. 

Dr. Babineau worked in private small animal practice, becoming the owner and operator of the Newport Animal Hospital and serving in that capacity for 21 years. In 2020, she received the Newport Daily Express’s Best of the Best Award, which is given to the member of the community who is voted as the best veterinarian in the area.  She also enjoyed attending and participating in equestrian events, playing tennis, hiking, and swimming, and serving as a skiing instructor.

The Curtis-Britch & Bouffard Funeral Home handled arrangements. Online remembrances may be made at curtis-britch.com.

Dr. Susan Min (PU DVM 2005)

Dr. Susan Min, of Bellevue, Washington, passed away December 8, 2021, after a battle with cancer.  She was 46.  Dr. Min graduated in the Purdue DVM Class of 2005, and worked in private practice at the Bellevue Animal Hospital. 

Dr. Min moved to the Seattle area from Seoul as a teenager and earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington before enrolling in the DVM degree program at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduating in 2005 she returned to the Pacific Northwest to work in private practice.

A post on the Bellevue Animal Hospital website called Dr. Min one of their beloved doctors. “Although Susan’s life ended before we were ready, the time that she spent in our lives was memorable and full of joy,” the post read. “She was a dedicated and passionate advocate for her patients and would go to the ends of the earth for her family and friends. We miss her and know that this loss is deeply felt by many.  Susan would want us to lift each other up and remain strong in the face of such a tragic loss.”

According to its website, the Bellevue Animal Hospital was established in 1955 and is a full-service animal hospital on the Seattle area’s Eastside, offering services that include internal medicine, surgery, dentistry, dermatology, ophthalmology, cardiology, and integrative medicine. 

Dr. Min had extensive experience in emergency medicine and complicated soft tissue surgeries. She also was known for her other areas of interest including preventive medicine, geriatric patient care and dermatology.

No information about funeral arrangements for Dr. Min is available. Click here to view the post on the Bellevue Animal Hospital website.

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

Recent Stories

Annual Purdue Veterinary Conference draws veterinary professionals from across the country for learning and fun

The 2026 edition of the annual Purdue Veterinary Conference attracted attendees from around the U.S. for three days of educational sessions covering an array of topics.  With the overall theme of “One Health: Modern Veterinary Medicine,” the conference September 23-26 on the Purdue University campus drew more than 450 veterinarians and veterinary technicians, plus faculty, staff and students. Sessions taught by a total of 65 speakers, including many Purdue Veterinary Medicine clinicians and veterinary technicians/technologists, enabled conference-goers to earn up to 23 continuing education credit hours.

Significant Gift from Jordan Smelski Foundation will fuel Purdue Veterinary Medicine research on deadly brain eating amoeba

A researcher in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology has received a generous gift of more than $100,000 from the Jordan Smelski Foundation for Amoeba Awareness and Mr. Steve Smelski to support research of the deadly amoeba Naegleria fowleri. Christopher Rice, PhD, assistant professor of parasitology and principal investigator of the Rice Research Group, leads a research team seeking to discover and repurpose drugs against primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare but typically fatal infection caused by Naegleria fowleri.

Purdue veterinary student receives Sir John D. Spurling Scholarship awarded by AKC Humane Fund

The AKC® Humane Fund, Inc.℠ has announced the 2026 recipients of the Sir John D. Spurling Scholarship, celebrating the human-canine bond, and one of the recipients is Purdue veterinary student Tiffany Chang of the Class of 2027. Chang is one of only five students chosen for the scholarships.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Unites with Purdue United Way Campaign

With the goal of raising $700,000 by November 4 to support local nonprofit organizations that help individuals and families in Greater Lafayette, the Purdue United Way campaign took off September 23 with an official campaign launch on the front lawn of the Purdue Memorial Union. Purdue Veterinary Medicine, along with the university’s other colleges and units, will participate with the help of PVM faculty and staff ambassadors working to make it easy for people in the college to respond, whether by giving, or by indicating that they do not wish to give. As part of the PVM drive to support the campaign, Dean Bret Marsh and his wife, Polly, are contributing a match for campaign contributions from college faculty and staff. Additionally, a drawing will be held to select winners from those who contribute.

“Paws Up” – for Dr. Yasumasa Iimori – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week we commend Yasumasa Iimori, DVM, PhD, who is a resident in Emergency and Critical Care in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.