We extend a heartfelt invitation to the families of donors who entrusted their loved ones to our care between November 2024 and 2025 to join us for this memorial service.

We recognize the significance of this occasion and warmly welcome you to join us as we honor and remember the individuals who have contributed to our program through their selfless gift.

2025 Donor Memorial Service

Thursday, November 20, 2025

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM PST

(Doors open at 5:30 PM)

Stanford Memorial Chapel

450 Jane Stanford Way

Stanford, CA 94305

We are deeply moved by the heartfelt statements and reflections shared by the families of our donors. Each donor's story is a touching reminder of the selfless spirit that propels the advancement of knowledge and the betterment of humanity. Through their invaluable contributions, they continue to impact lives, shaping the skills and compassion of aspiring medical professionals. We honor their memory and cherish the legacy they leave behind—a legacy of hope, healing, and the relentless pursuit of scientific understanding.

 

"My Irishman, Brian Keenan Anuskewicz, passed away peacefully at home. We spent 50 years together in love and friendship. Our love for each other was, and always will be, a constant in my life.

Being Irish, Brian was a good writer, and talker. On special occasions he would write me short stories as gifts, often accompanied by drawings. On my birthday in 2005 he wrote these lines.

What I could do: I could find the plane in the sky, and tell you what type it is. Draw lines on paper and make a house. Make you laugh, my friends laugh, and strangers as well. I could dance to Motown, but not the polka. Make a garden with order and presentation. Think fast on the spot, and stay with my first thought being my best shot. Speak with the confidence that might not be there yet.

What I couldn’t do: I could not make a living with power tools. Wait my turn to speak in a group. Give up because I did not have the answer. I could not compromise when I have a strong feeling or thought. Rise from bed earlier than you. Walk thru Dublin City without the thought of feeling at home.

What I really couldn't do: I really could not think of my life without you by my side. I love you Susan.

I say: Brian always considered himself a lucky man. I was a very lucky woman to have shared this journey. What a wonderful impossibility! 
-Susan Anuskewicz"

 

"Robert William Laker 1951-2023
Much loved husband and father.
Gentle giant. Quietly courageous.
Cancer and Cardiac warrior!!
We hold you in our hearts. Family and friends
Love you lots,
Heather and Matt xx"