IN MEMORIAM: Robert B. Parker

Abstract

It is always sad when one of our Diplomates is prematurely taken from us in the prime of their career. On the morning of April 7, 2008, Rob Parker was tragically killed in a car accident in Coolbaugh Township, PA. Rob was born in Pasadena, CA, in 1948, the son of Emily and Lee Parker. After undergraduate studies at the University of California–Santa Barbara, he completed his DVM degree with honors from the University of California–Davis (UC Davis) in 1973. An internship and graduate work at Washington State University were followed by a return to UC Davis for residency training in small animal surgery. Rob was a charter faculty member of the Department of Surgical Sciences when the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine opened its doors in 1977. He became an ACVS Diplomate in 1982, and later served our College as a speaker and session chair at the Annual Symposium, as a member of the Credentials Committee (1993–1996) and the Editorial Review Board for Veterinary Surgery (1994–1997). Rob was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 1983 and served as Chief of Small Animal Surgery (1982–1991). In 1991–1992, Rob spent a sabbatical year in Australia as a visiting scholar at Sydney University. For two decades Rob Parker was synonymous with small animal orthopedics at the University of Florida, where he taught hundreds of aspiring veterinary students and over two dozen small animal surgery residents the art and science of small animal orthopedics. Rob had special interests in fracture repair, arthrodeses, and bone grafting. He was one of the early pioneers performing total hip replacements in dogs and often taught at the annual ASIF course at The Ohio State University. In 1997, Rob moved to the Animal Medical Center in New York to become Chair of the Surgery Department. Over a decade at AMC, he continued teaching interns and residents orthopedic surgery and conducting scholarly research. As was his constant goal, Rob provided leadership and served as a role model for veterinary surgeons in training. In January 2008, he embarked on a new career phase as Chief of Surgery at the Animal Emergency Clinic of Wyoming Valley in Pittston, PA. Rob had lived in Buck Hill Falls, PA for nearly a decade where he was an active member of the community and an avid golfer. Rob will be remembered by those who knew him as “a gifted surgeon, a patient mentor, and a dedicated leader.” He was a superb technical surgeon with a great passion for orthopedics. His conscientious mentorship of residents, interns, and veterinary students and his colorful sense of humor made learning enjoyable and helped those of us who worked with Rob maintain a healthy perspective on life and our profession. Rob was a natural leader; he was honest and fair as well as a strong advocate for his section. Rob invariably earned the respect and loyalty of his constituency whether they were professionals, support staff, or students. He affected the lives of many in a positive way. Rob is survived by his mother, Emily Parker of Menifee, CA; wife, Ramona (Fletcher) Parker of Buck Hill Falls, PA; daughter, Elizabeth (Parker) Griseck, her husband Chris and her mother Jeanette Parker of Alachua, FL; sister, Sarah (Parker) Rhodes, her husband Ron and two nieces, Allison and Melanie Rhodes of Monrovia, CA; step-sons, Jeff Meloy of Atlanta, GA, and Chris Meloy of Palo Alto, CA; step-grandson, William Meloy of Atlanta, GA; and mother-in-law, Billie Paolino of Albuquerque, NM. Donations honoring Rob's legacy can be made to the University of Florida's Small Animal Surgery Resident Scholarly Fund. Checks should be payable to the University of Florida Foundation in care of Dr. Dan Lewis, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0126.