Dr. Duard D. Linam, DVM

1919 - 2011

Duard, Billy, Bill, D. D., Doc, Dad, Paw Paw

Dr. Duard Desmond (Bill) Linam, DVM, was known by several different given/first names, each name representing a distinct chapter in his life. The name by which he was known varied depending on the decade of his life and the context in which you knew him. Dad was born, November 13, 1919 in Austin, Texas, the only child of Henry Lee Linam and Ola (Hicks) Linam. He was very proud to be a fifth generation Texan and a third generation Austinite. He was the great-great-great grandson of Elizabeth Standifer and the great-great grandson of James W. Standifer, original land grantees and settlers of Stephen F. Austin’s “Little Colony” in the territory of what is today Bastrop and eastern Travis Counties. Dad’s Wilson, Linam, Tucker and Hicks ancestors settled in Central Texas, coming from several southern states, immediately before and after the Civil War. He could trace his ancestors back to the American colonial period. He had ancestors who fought in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.

His Dad preferred to call him “Bill” or “Billy” in his childhood and that name stuck with him, used by close friends and family, throughout his life. Billy’s childhood was spent in the middle class neighborhood in East Austin now bordered by East 1st St. (now Caesar Chavez) on the north and the Colorado River (Lady Bird Lake) on the south.

He attended Austin Public Schools; Metz Elementary, Allan Junior High and graduated from Austin High School in 1937. His teachers called him Duard, his given name. After high school graduation, Dad attended UT Austin for a short time prior to gaining acceptance to the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (Texas A&M) to pursue becoming a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Dad’s classmates at A&M called him “D. D.”

Like millions of other American families, the Great Depression negatively affected the financial fortunes of his family. Bill worked his way through A&M and vet school by working as a janitor on campus. When World War II broke out in 1941, many of Dad’s classmates and friends left school to serve in the armed forces. Not knowing how long the war would last, the army planned a reserve of skilled medical personnel. So Dad remained in school as a member of the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP). He graduated from the A. & M. College of Veterinary Medicine in the class of 1944.

On his return to Austin, he became an employee and later assumed the practice of Dr. A. A. Biebel at the Austin Cat and Dog Hospital, 506 East 5th Street. Except for the time spent away when he was called to active duty during the Korean War, Dad practiced veterinary medicine at this location for more than 35 years. He was profiled in the Austin Statesman in the 1940’s when former agricultural editor, Dave Shanks, wrote about Dad’s role as veterinarian for the King Ranch hunting dogs. He was again profiled in the Statesman when he returned from active duty in the Army in the early 1950’s and in an Austin American-Statesman article in 1981 when he retired. In the 1981 article, long time clients and employees spoke about how “Doc” Linam never turned a case away due to the client’s inability to pay. Dad loved people, animals, and his profession.

His love for animals was evident in ways apart from his private practice. He and a handful of Austin vets, animal lovers and city and county representatives, formed the Austin and Travis County Humane Society in 1952. The current Humane Society literature states that the society has been “Saving animal lives in Austin since 1952.” Dad is recognized by the society as a “Life Emeritus Director.” He served on the Board of Directors of the Humane Society and in other capacities over several decades. The society awarded him the Humanitarian of the Year honor in 1981. He was also honored by the Board of Directors of the American Humane Association in 1976 (25 years) and again in 1982 (30 years) for devoted service and significant contributions to the American Humane Movement.

With long time Director of Shelter Operations, Mrs. Marge Bird and Drs. Dean Brown and Elmo Crenshaw, small animal clinicians at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine, Dad helped establish a services exchange program between the School, the Capital Area Veterinary Medical Association (CAVMA) and the Humane Society. This cooperative effort was so innovative and successful the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) published an article about the program in its August 1975 journal. Dad was a member and at various times, an officer, of the CAVMA and the TVMA. He was also a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) until his retirement and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). After retirement he remained active in the TVMA as a member of a special committee that documented the history of the organization.

Dad was always eager to encourage and support young people who aspired to become veterinarians. He employed high school students over many summer vacations. The students received first hand vet hospital operations experience. As a good Aggie, Dad was also always eager to share the A&M experience with young people, including two future sons-in-law, grandchildren and those high school students he mentored.

Bill married Dorothy Louise Mason of Rockdale, Texas, on July 21, 1945. “Dot” was by his side for over 65 years, working long hours in helping to establish his practice and supporting him in many other ways, including loving care in his declining years. During retirement, Bill and Dot were fortunate to be able to travel the world. They made many dear friends from those they met in their tour groups over the years. They were also fortunate to share the joy of grandchildren marrying and having families of their own.

Dad passed away on April 9, 2011. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Mason Linam of Austin; daughter Sharon and husband Colonel Frank Holder (USAF Ret.) of Round Rock; daughter Linda Linam of Georgetown; granddaughter Shara Overstreet and husband Eddie of San Antonio; grandson Tyler Holder of Arlington; granddaughter Amanda Soisson and husband Ryan of Austin; granddaughter Alicia Martindale and husband Mike of College Station. His cherished great grandchildren, Devon Overstreet, Van and Cal Soisson, and Ava, Cooper and Jake Martindale, also survive him. Also surviving is dear friend and cousin, Gerald Gondran of Austin. Cousins C. B. Linam of Austin and Jack Linam of Bastrop, three nieces, one nephew, several other cousins and many dear friends also survive him.

Pallbearers will be Eddie Overstreet, Mike Martindale, and Danny Holder. Honorary pall bearers will be Tyler Holder, Ryan Soisson, Gerald Gondran, Skipper Morrison, and Roger Bailey.

Dad was a 32nd degree Master Mason for more than 50 years. He was a member of Lodge No. 12 A.F. & A. M., the Scottish Rite and the Ben Hur Shrine Temple in Austin. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers that donations are made in Dr. Linam’s name to the Capital City A&M Club scholarship fund, The Austin-Travis County Humane Society, The City of Austin Animal Shelter or the Shriner’s Hospitals and Burn Centers.

The family is deeply grateful for the loving care Bill received at the Cedar Park, TX, Sagebrook Health Center, The Pointe at Cedar Park, and from Odyssey Health Care.

Visitation will be from 6 till 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home in Pflugerville. Funeral service will be 1 p.m., Wednesday, at the Memorial Chapel of the funeral home. Committal services with military honors will follow at Capital Parks Cemetery.

Please visit Bill’s memorial at www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com where you can share memories with our family.