Angela Kathryn (Wright) Baysinger, DVM of rural Bruning, NE, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2024, at her home with her two sons and beloved husband at her side. Angela was born February 14, 1967, at Chanute Air Force Base, Rantoul, IL to Jerry and Kathryn (Gough) Wright. She was united in marriage to Jerry Baysinger August 8, 1993, in Martinsburg, MO.
After living on several Air Force Bases across the country where her father was stationed, Angela grew up on a rural farm near Martinsburg, MO. It was there at a young age that she gained a true love of farm animals, especially pigs. She graduated from Community R-VI High School in Laddonia, MO in 1985 and then attended the University of Missouri – Columbia where she earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1992. After graduation, she moved to Sutton, NE where she practiced at Sutton Veterinary Clinic. Angela left practice in 1995 to pursue a master’s degree in epidemiology at the University of Nebraska/USDA Meat Animal Research Center – Clay Center, NE. While there she served as the Interim Extension Swine Specialist. After almost 20 years of various positions with animal health companies as a technical swine veterinarian and with Farmland Foods as Vice President of On-farm Food Safety, Angela accepted a position with Merck Animal Health. There, she first was a Technical Service Veterinarian and then later was the North America Animal Well-being Lead until the time of her death. Animal well-being was her passion, and she has championed many educational conferences to help bridge livestock producers with end-users/ consumers. This position led her to obtain a master’s degree in Animal Welfare, Ethics, and Law from the University of Edinburgh in 2021.
Angela’s professional memberships included the American Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization, International Poultry Welfare Alliance, Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, National Pork Board, North American Meat Institute, and numerous other organizations. She was recently installed as president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians on February 27th, an association that she was involved with for many years and truly loved. She also contributed to science with peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and many abstracts over the years.
Angela lived life with great enthusiasm, adventure, and like “someone left the gate open.” She loved to ride her Harley Davidson motorcycle which included trips to Sturgis with Jerry, riding on poker runs, or just getting much needed wind therapy. She developed a love for muscle cars and attended car shows with Jerry and loved to cruise in her 1970 Panther Pink Super Bee. She also loved to fly planes and always had that desire to have air beneath her wings. But her greatest love was her family. She was the in-house travel agent that planned family getaways to great places. She was always involved with her boys in their activities with 4-H, FFA, Boy Scouts, sports, band, speech, and any activity that they so desired. She was so very proud of them and will watch them go through life from the heavens above.
She is survived by her husband of 30 years, Jerry of Bruning, NE; her sons: Isaac of Minneapolis, MN, and Samuel of Bruning, NE; her parents, Jerry and Kathy Wright of Martinsburg, MO; sister, Betsy (Lyle) Kreisel of Warrensburg, MO; and brother, Clark (Stacy) Wright of Martinsburg, MO. She was preceded in death by her grandparents.
A funeral service for Angela was held on Thursday, March 14, 2024 in Ohiowa, NE with Pastor Jeff Friesen and Pastor Preston Carter Fields presiding. Memorials are to be directed to the family to be designated at a future date in Angela’s honor.
Watch Dr Baysinger’s AASV Member Recollection video (aasv.org/members/only/video/Baysinger) to learn more about her personal history, her professional contributions to swine health and welfare, and her lasting impact on colleagues, mentees, and friends. A few of her recent professional accomplishments and awards include:
- Feather in Her Cap Award – 2021
- AASV Meritorious Service Award – 2021
- PAACO Service Award – 2022
- AASV Howard Dunne Memorial Lecture – 2022
- AVMA Animal Welfare Committee – 2013-2024
- PAACO Board of Directors – 2004-2007 and 2011-2024
