Here lie the remains of those who in the interest of others, donated their remains to science
A Final Gift: Honouring Body Donors at St. James-the-Less Cemetery
Each year, a dignified service of remembrance is held at St. James-the-Less Cemetery in Toronto to honour those who have donated their bodies to science. Family and friends gather not only in grief but in gratitude — for lives lived and for the final, selfless act of giving.
Following the service, a committal ceremony takes place at the grave where the donors’ cremated remains are interred. No individual names are engraved on the monument. Instead, it bears these simple, powerful words of collective thanks:
“Here lie the remains of those who, in the interests of others, donated their bodies for health, education and research.
The University of Toronto deeply appreciates their generosity and marks this place to honour their memory.”
Each year, the University of Toronto’s body donation program receives between 125 and 140 donations — a vital contribution to medical education, research, and the advancement of health care.
Nearby, McMaster University and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College have also erected monuments in the same grove, recognizing the donors who entrusted their remains to their institutions.
There are no names. No personal epitaphs.
Only gratitude. And quiet honour.
Inside the Chapel of St.James the-Less Cemetery.
