Dr. John Hudelson, a former state veterinarian who spent much of his career helping rid the livestock industry of brucellosis, a costly livestock disease, died of cancer Feb. 19. He was 86.

Honored as Kansas veterinarian of the year in 1971, Dr. Hudelson left a prestigious job as Kansas livestock commissioner so he could move to Colorado in 1972 to indulge his love of the mountains.

"He was an avid hunter and really enjoyed the outdoors," said John Williams, a veterinarian who succeeded Dr. Hudelson as state veterinarian after his retirement in 1988. "That's why he left Kansas. He really did love the mountains of Colorado."

Born Aug. 15, 1922, in Pomona, Kan., to James and Mable Hudelson, he grew up on a cattle ranch with six brothers and sisters and spent 10 years working in 4-H activities.

During World War II, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served as a navigator and bombardier on B-25s.

After the war ended, he returned to Kansas and earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and economics from Kansas State University in 1948. In 1951, he earned his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from that school.

Dr. Hudelson opened his own veterinary practice in Pomona and began a life of public service. For a time, he was the mayor of Pomona and was a founding member of the Pomona Lions Club. He was also president of the Ottawa, Kan., Board of Education and director and district vice president of the Kansas State Association of School Boards.

He also grew to prominence in the livestock industry. In 1958, he became state veterinarian for the Kansas Livestock Sanitary Commission. In 1970, he was appointed Kansas livestock commissioner. He was also president and chairman of the board of the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association.

"He influenced me to become a veterinarian," said Robert Meyer, a regional epidemiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Fort Collins and a lifelong friend of Dr. Hudelson's. "He influenced a lot of young people like myself to take on a career path and make something of themselves."

After moving to Colorado, Dr. Hudelson picked up where he left off in Kansas. He took a job as assistant state veterinarian and later became state veterinarian. And in 1985, he was honored as Colorado veterinarian of the year. In 1987, he served as president of the U.S. Animal Health Association.

"His contribution was mainly to the health of animals in the livestock industry," Williams said. "He worked for much of his career to help the state get rid of brucellosis. He retired before that happened, but he made tremendous progress during his career."

Colleagues remembered Dr. Hudelson as a man who behaved as a gentleman and never raised his voice - even when slapping quarantines on some animals.

"He had to enforce the rules, but he did it in a way to maintain the respect of the industry he was regulating," Meyer said.

"He was a man of absolute integrity," Williams said. "He was the kind of individual who, when he saw a problem, he was dedicated to solving it, not blaming someone for causing it."

In addition to hunting, Dr. Hudelson enjoyed fishing, golf, poker and bridge. He lived at Windsor Gardens in Denver.

He married Jean Constance Armitage in 1951. They divorced in 1976.

He is survived by three children, Joan Stewart of Grand Junction, Martha Osecky of Fort Collins and James Hudelson, of Seaside, Fla.; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.