ADVS department head passes away
After an almost three-year battle with pancreatic cancer, head of the animal, dairy and veterinary science department, Mark Healey, passed away on Dec. 10, 2007, at the age of 60.
Despite being sick after chemotherapy, Healey attended the department’s Christmas party in 2005, shuffling into the room in his slippers, said Jean Edwards, staff assistant for the ADVS department. His dedication to his work continued throughout his sickness, with many people never knowing he was suffering, Edwards said.
Edwards said she would see Healey pull up the energy to meet with many people during this time and that she only knew he was sick because she worked so closely with him. Even after he was homebound, Edwards said she and assistant department head Tom Bunch would go to Healey’s home, where he would pass his leadership and expertise to Budges.
Bunch is currently acting as department head until a replacement can be found.
After graduation from Granger High School, Healey attended the University of Utah, where he decided he wanted to be a professor. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the U, afterward receiving his doctorate from Purdue University in the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Taking his teaching and research skills to a new level, Healey filled in for 18 months for a faculty member on sabbatical leave in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University. While being among the first class of students to attend the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University, Healey also taught parasitology to his classmates and did research on this topic with other faculty members.
It was after all this schooling and experience that Healey returned to Utah in 1981. He began at USU as a research assistant professor, working his way up. In 1990 he entered the administration realm part-time as the assistant department head for the ADVS department. In 1999 he became the department head, when he quit teaching in the classroom due to the responsibilities of the large department, Edwards said.
“I found him to be straightforward and always willing to tell me exactly what he planned to do. He spelled out clearly what he expected and kept his word when plans were made,” said David Wilson, assistant professor with the ADVS department.
People respected Healey’s opinion, even if they didn’t see eye to eye, Edwards said. He was always getting the most information he could before making any decisions in order to be fair, she said.
“I have always known Mark to be fair, concerned for his employees and their welfare as well as the reputation of USU and it’s successes,” said Scott McKendrick, extension associate professor.
Not only did Healey have an open door policy, allowing anyone to stop in at any time, but he was very organized, Edwards said. His desk was always clean, with only one piece of paper on it at a time, finishing one thing completely before going on to the next. He was focused on what he was doing, Edwards said. Healey would have made a great trial lawyer, she said, as he prepared for every meeting as if it where the most important, no matter who it was with.
“When he heard rumblings, he took care of it right then,” Edwards said, noting Healey’s keen sense of all that was going on around him.
Healey married his high school sweetheart Jo Ann Wade in 1965. They are the parents of sons Jeff and Chris and daughter Rachelle Wright, all of whom graduated from USU. Healey enjoyed spending his free time fishing, hiking and camping. He and his wife also enjoyed watching their sons play sports, rarely missing a game.
Many of Healey’s associates said he will be missed as a professor and leader, but more importantly as a friend.
-alison.baugh@aggiemail.usu.edu