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Family members and students placed flowers at the grave site where the ashes of donor bodies now rest at UT Health San Antonio’s Memorial Park during the internment Ceremony on Tuesday evening.
The Burial of Ashes ceremony is an annual event honoring people who donated their bodies to UT Health San Antonio for student education and research.
Dr. Omid B. Rahimi, professor and director of the Human Anatomy Program in the Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, spoke at the ceremony and addressed the families of the donors.
Rahimi said the tradition began in 1996 with Dr. Vick Williams, a founding member of UT Health’s anatomy program.
“Their gift is one of the most selfless acts imaginable,” said Dr. Lily Dong, professor and chair of the department of Cell Systems and Anatomy. “Due to their generosity, our students are given real and valuable opportunities to learn not only the structure of the human body but also the meaning of respect, humility and responsibility in the practice of medication.”
Students in medical, dental, and other health programs who studied the donor bodies attended the ceremony and spoke with the families.
The donated bodies are used to study human anatomy and how the body functions.
“The donors gave with such generosity to students that they would never know. They owed nothing to us, but they donated their very bodies that they and their loved ones held so dear in life. The trust they placed on us to respect and learn from them was a responsibility that we refused to take lightly.” said first-year dental class president Valerie Ulloa.
Maxwell Bowling, president of the physician assistant class of 2027, said he lost his great-aunt Linda shortly before starting the program in 2025. She had donated her body to the Texas Tech School of Medicine.
“When I began my anatomy course here, I saw firsthand the profound level of respect that the anatomy department instilled in us from day one. Seeing this didn't just help me become a better student, it allowed me to go home to my family and give them the comfort that they needed. I could tell them with absolute certainty that Linda was being treated with the highest honor. To the families here today, please note, your loved ones were truly cared for.”
