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Beatrice D. Mooney was known as “the life of the party” in her family.

Born April 18, 1929, Mooney was quick-witted and always eager to make her loved ones laugh with a joke or silly face. After she died on Nov. 20, 2020, she already had her next steps planned out: her body was to be donated to Albany Medical College’s Anatomical Gift Program.

“She was always going to do it,” said Brianna Trexler-Testa, her niece. “She wanted to donate her body to science.”

On Aug. 16, the Historic St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands hosted its annual memorial service for the friends and families of individuals who have donated their bodies to the Anatomical Gift Program in the past year. The program offers medical students hands-on experience in studying the structure of the human body. The principal source of these bodies is provided by donations.

The memorial service was held at the cemetery’s mausoleum and celebrated by Deacon James O’Rourke of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Albany. Eight individuals were honored for the gift of their bodies: Ann M. Briggs, Josephine M. Busch, Robert T. Carroll, Alma T. Clement, John A. DeCrosta, Paulette T. Kowalchyk, Beatrice D. Mooney and George J. Nedy.

“It is so, so important for our medical professionals, as they learn, to have this exposure of seeing what goes on in the body and what happens to the body,” Deacon O’Rourke said. “It’s a great gift to do this, it really is. And it’s so important to the formation of new health-care providers; it’s just amazing how much they learn.”

A former medical professional himself, Deacon O’Rourke worked as a respiratory therapist at both Albany Medical Center and St. Peter’s Hospital. Due to precautions over COVID-19, no students or staff from the Albany Medical program could be present, but the deacon pulled from his past medical experience to drive home the message they would have given: these donations help to save lives.

“I worked with many doctors and medical students, and I have first-hand knowledge of how important it is to have this great gift that your loved ones gave,” he said.

Albany Diocesan Cemeteries first partnered with Albany Medical Center in 1983 to offer grave space in honor of individuals and their loved ones who chose to dedicate their body to medical science. Since then, 567 Anatomical Gift interments have been completed at St. Agnes.

Jennifer Mele, director of communications for Albany Diocesan Cemeteries, was excited that families would have the chance to celebrate the day in person, after pausing last year’s memorial service due to COVID-19. 

“As a Catholic cemetery organization, it’s important to have a proper burial and proper burial rights,” Mele said. “This is quite special because of the unique and selfless gift that these donors and their families have provided.”

During the service, family and friends were invited to come up and place a flower on the urn of their loved one on the altar. Some relatives paused or placed a hand to the urn, saying one more goodbye or thank you for their donation.

“I think she knew this was really big,” added Trexler-Testa of her aunt. “She had a hard life and I think she wanted to help others.”

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