Funeral Honors Those Who Donated Their Bodies to Science

More than 200 people gathered at Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville Monday for the 37th annual memorial service to honor more than 600 people who donated their bodies to science.

Ronn Wade, director of the State Anatomy Board, called Springfield "a fitting place" in opening remarks in front of the Patterson House.

The service is for those who donated their bodies to science as well as the unclaimed bodies used by the state's medical and dental education and research programs.

The families and friends that attended came to say goodbye to their loved ones. The bodies are cremated and buried at Springfield. If a family requests, the ashes are returned to them.

In the case of Diana Amrhein and her brother David Moore, they came to say goodbye to their father, who died in 1972. They didn’t know the location of his remains until this past year. They attended the service with their spouses and Diana’s daughter.

"We have waited 39 years, so we are here," said Amrhein. "I wish it would have happened a long time ago. At least we finally found out where our father’s ashes were buried, and now we have had a service, which we covertly would have done a long time ago, if we knew where he was. We are grateful to be here."

Their father, Edwin C. Moore, was a retired captain from the U.S. Army with 30 years of service. David and his wife live in Monkton while Diana, her husband Tom, and their daughter, live in Timonium.

"We are very thankful for people like Eva Whiteman and Mr. Wade. Real servants to humanity. They really are," said Amrhein.

They thought about their father, but didn’t go looking until this year.

"We talk about it every year, especially on his birthday and date of death. Last year we were thinking, what do they do with those ashes?" Amrhein said.

Her brother added, "I don’t think we knew there would be ashes. I had no idea what they did with a body after, never thought about it. It was really Diana that initiated the search. They treat the remains very respectfully and they interred them here."

Fred Hitchcock, director of Volunteers Services at Springfield Hospital Center, said, "People ask, 'Where are the markers?' We have no individual markers because everyone is equal here. We feel because they all volunteered, that’s their marker. I volunteered."

When asked why he traveled from Aberdeen to Sykesville, Ed Coyle said, "My father, Tom Coyle, was a giver all his life. My mother and him decided to do this and we were fully supportive, so we are glad he did it. We are glad to be here."

The interdenominational service included a presentation of colors by the Maryland National Guard, remembrances, prayers, a proclamation of "Anatomical Donor Appreciation Day" in Maryland and taps.

Francis Wallace entertained the crowd with his bagpipes and played a few selections during the service. He also closed the ceremony playing "Amazing Grace."