Roll Call Tribute

Published in The Roanoke (VA) Times (on) October 2nd, 2014

Turnwald, Grant Heaton

Dr. Grant Heaton Turnwald, 71, of Christiansburg passed away on Saturday, September 27, 2014at Lewis Gale Hospital-Montgomery.Grant was born, grew up on a farm, and was educated in New Zealand, the son of Leslie and Nell Turnwald. He was preceded in death by his wife of 28 years, Carolyn Turnwald. Grant graduated from University of Sydney with a bachelor in Veterinary Science in 1966, and practiced in New Zealand for several years.After moving to the United States he attended Texas A&M and graduated with a Master of Science: Major Veterinary Medicine and Surgery.After completing his internship and graduate assistant work with Small Animal and Surgery at Texas A&M he moved to Baton Rouge, La., where he accepted a position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at LSU Veterinary School.Afternine years at LSU, Grant and his family moved to Oklahoma in 1988 to become Department Head of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at OSU. As a member of the Virginia Tech Community since 1998, Grant served the Veterinary College as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 1998-2009, led the college through important curricular revisions, and updated the college's professional curriculum. Grant was known as a forward thinker and an innovator within veterinary education and wrote and published 100 ground breaking papers on student selection and veterinary curriculum including co-authoring numerous text books.Dr. Turnwald received the title of Professor Emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors in June of 2009. An avid sailor, Grant was a fixture at Claytor Lake, and was the highest winning skipper and for six seasons he was awarded the Claytor Cup Championship by the Claytor Lake Sailing Association. He also served as the Commodore and numerous other club positions. This passion for sailing started early and was fostered on Lake Rotorua in New Zealand. Grant is survived by his children, John, Jamie, and Jana Scavona; his brother, John Turnwald; his sister, Helen Parham; and many nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. AMemorial Service will be heldat 9 a.m. Sunday, October 5, 2014,at the New Dublin Presbyterian Church / 5331 New Dublin Church Road /Dublin, VA 24084 (540) 674-6147, followed at 2p.m. by his final Sail / Regatta at Claytor Lake State Park. Guests are invited to Shelter #1 to view the race and meet with family and friends. Hors d oeuvres' are appreciated and dinner will be provided at 5:30 p.m. At Grant's wishes, a scholarship has been set up at Virginia Maryland College of Veterinarian Medicine at Virginia Tech in his memory. In lieu of flowers, donations should be sent to the Virginia Tech Foundation for the "Grant Turnwald Innovation Award" 902 Prices Fork Road / Suite 4500 / Blacksburg, VA 24061. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg.