A small group gathered in the lobby of Spartanburg Medical Center. Heads bowed in prayer as friends and families remembered volunteers, associates and board members who passed away during the past year.
For the past four years, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System (SRHS) has held the Family Memorial Tree ceremony of remembrance. Names of those who passed away this year were added to the Family Memorial Tree, which is displayed in the main lobby of Spartanburg Medical Center.
During the celebration of life on Thursday, chaplain residents read the names of each person who is memorialized on the tree. As the name of each individual was announced, friends and family members received a white rose in memory of their loved one.
Those honored included physicians, volunteers, employees and board members, all of whom gave a minimum of 10 years of active service.
The tree was dedicated in May 2013, and now contains nearly 170 names. The memorial serves as a lasting tribute in grateful appreciation to those who dedicated their lives to serving others through health care.
“We often feel alone in grief. The Memorial Tree brings us together, helps us heal and helps us celebrate the lives of those who brought so much to this healthcare system,” said the Rev. Carson Rogerson III, SRHS Director of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Education. “Each name we added to the tree this year provided something special to Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.”
Those remembered with the Family Memorial Tree include:
William "Snook" Bailey
Bobby Brown
John Camp
Carolyn Coates
Shirley C. Friel
Yatemon Gray
Willie R. Greene
Bettie Garrett Hawes
Libby Hayes
Katie Adams Hodge
Dwight Jackson
Christopher Todd Johnson
Stephen "Pete" Johnson
Neal Koon
Zerno E. Martin Jr.
Betty Noland
Cherie Pequignot
Janis Rash
James (Jim) Rosengrant Jr.
Mary Alice Shippy
Jessie H. Smith
Jeannette Marie Sill
Clara Mae Sullivan
Rachel S. Thompson
Joyce Wall
SRHS CEO Bruce Holstien initiated the Family Memorial Tree. The result is a sprawling piece of art, full of branches, that represents and honors those who have served SRHS in a variety of ways.