Obituary

June 29, 2016 — 

Dr. Bruce H. Janke, DVM, PhD, age 68, of Ames, passed away on June 25, 2016 due to complications related to hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) while at Mayo Methodist Hospital in Rochester, MN. A gathering of friends and family was held in Ames, IA Tuesday, June 28, followed by a memorial service on Wednesday, June 29.

Bruce Janke was born Feb. 10, 1948 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the son of Reverend Wilfred and Vera Janke. He graduated from Fort Dodge High School in 1966, and attended Iowa State University, where he earned his Bachelors of Science in Zoology in 1970 and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1975. He went on to work as a veterinarian for three years in Windom, MN, during which time he met his wife, Ellen Bode. The couple married on October 14, 1978 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and moved to Colombia, MO where their two sons, Ben and Brian, were born. Bruce earned Masters and PhD degrees in Veterinary Pathology from the University of Missouri. Following his PhD work, the family moved to Brookings, SD where he served as a professor of Veterinary Pathology from 1984 to 1991 at the South Dakota State University Diagnostic Laboratory. In 1991, Bruce and his family returned to Ames, where he joined ISU as a Professor of Diagnostic Pathology, retiring in 2014 after 23 years of teaching, research, and veterinary diagnostics. Dr. Janke was a member of AASV from 2005 through 2012.

Bruce loved to play basketball and golf, and enjoyed being outdoors. He loved to fish, and especially relished two annual fishing trips to Canada with friends and family. He enjoyed spending time with his family; he and Ellen liked to travel and visit the national parks, as well as attend the performing arts and ISU basketball games. He was an active member of Bethesda Lutheran Church, serving the church and community in several capacities and living out his strong faith.

Bruce is survived by his wife, Ellen Janke of Ames; sons, Ben Janke of Minneapolis, and Brian Janke of Madison; and a brother, Doug (Jodie) Janke of Fort Dodge.

Online condolences may be directed to: http://www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com