To honor recently deceased loved ones, Augusta University invited locals and students to an annual memorial service in the center of the Summerville Campus on Thursday afternoon, April 18.
A total of 17 people were honored with a ceremony respecting each individual’s contribution to the university; among these 17 names, who died between April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, six were students, and 11 were staff and faculty members.
Created in 2015 by AU President Brooks Keel and a dedicated team, as part of his engagement efforts, the remembrance service quickly became a heartfelt tradition for students and faculty.
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“We just wanted to find a way to take a moment to remember them,” Keel said. “It’s a powerful way for us to remember the faculty, staff and students that we lost in the past year … we just want the families to know that they are still in our thoughts and prayers.”
Starting the service with a campus-wide moment of silence, Keel said the event allowed the community to gather and support each other in a time of immense grief.
“This university is a family – always has been, always will be,” he said. “Families come together in times like this not only to remember those who have passed, but perhaps even more importantly to support each other.”
In addition to mourning each individual’s passing, Keel said every attendee also needed to remember everyone’s contributions to the university, which will live on and act as part of their legacy.
“We will remember their kindness and their dedication to a commitment of excellence in our classrooms, our hospitals and our clinics,” he said. “We are grateful for the time we had with each of them … we are dedicated to honoring their memories in all that we do.”
As peers, relatives and professors wept in remembrance, many embraced and held hands while names of the dearly departed were read aloud.
“We all need an outlet to grieve when we lose someone close to us,” said President Ralph Turner of Wellstar MCG Health. “I hope the families gathered here get a glimpse of the impact that loved ones have left on all of us … our people is what our organization is all about.”
Turner said Wellstar and AU depend on relationship building, which makes every loss much more difficult.
“When we lose people and we lose relationships, it’s deeply painful. There is a void left behind in the wake of their loss,” he said.
By hosting a memorial service, Turner said he hopes each attendee leaves feeling at least a little bit comforted in the knowledge that no one is alone in their grief.
“From the deepest depths of our hearts, we thank all the families for sharing their loved ones with us,” he said.
To include loved ones in the memorial, as the names were read, several families were invited one by one to place a flower in a pool of still water, which symbolized celebrating the lives of those passed on.
Augusta University’s Director of Spiritual Care Henry Holt said he hopes every family member, co-worker, friend and caregiver leaves the service understanding that each passed loved one will remain alive in spirit and memory, because the love embedded in memories “transcends even death.”
“Although they are no longer with us in the present, they will always be with us in our hearts and our memories,” he said. “We’ve not forgotten about them.”
The service also featured several keynote speakers from the university, a musical interlude by students and a symbolic tolling of the bell 18 times – one ring for each of the deceased, and an extra final ring for others that passed and were not outright mentioned.
“I always love to be a part of this event,” said Garrett Green, Augusta University’s associate vice president for Access, Success and Belonging. “Here at Augusta University, community is something we truly value and prioritize, and this is just one of the many ways that we build and showcase community for our students.”
To end the memorial, David Nicols performed “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes, and families were invited to stay afterwards to enjoy fellowship and light refreshments.
The following names are those who passed and were remembered at the service:
- William B. Guy III
- Timothy McClain
- Madison Elizabeth McDaniel
- Laken Hope Riley
- Tykee Tucker
- Sonya Yvette Wells
- Yisang Yoon
- Michael Thomas Honyoust
- Yibing Peng
- Kelly Dasher
- Delmonica Gardenhire
- DeAun R. Gilreath
- Lonnie Hooks
- Mercedine J. Johnson
- Jordan D. Meadows
- Andrea M. Schofield
- Joann Smith Finley
“Even though some of them might have only been with us a short time, they still impacted this place, and that will live on forever,” said Keel. “It’s going to live on long after we’re all gone.”
