For more than five years, Amy Trau, R.N., M.S.N., served on the Bethesda Leadership Team as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. A dream of hers was to establish an assisted living community to serve the needs of seniors in the Kirkwood/Webster area—a dream that became reality with the creation of Bethesda Hawthorne Place.

When Amy tragically died in an automobile accident, her husband, Mike, also a Bethesda employee, was searching for a way to honor her legacy at Bethesda and recognize her love of working with the senior population. He wanted to reflect her compassion, her commitment to caring, her attention to detail, and her love of working at Bethesda.

After speaking with the team from the Bethesda Health Group Foundation, Mike realized that he could honor her at her “dream location,” Bethesda Hawthorne Place, by naming the garden in the courtyard in her honor.

“I knew that many residents would enjoy the courtyard and specifically the garden, and that would have made Amy so happy,” Mike says. “It makes me feel so good to honor her in this way and support the organization she loved.”

Bethesda’s “Lasting Impressions” program provides donors like Mike with an opportunity to recognize loved ones in a special way.

Whether in independent living, assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing, Bethesda offers the right amenities, services, programming, and staff to make every day full of purpose. See for yourself and tour our independent living communities, including Bethesda Barclay House – Clayton, Bethesda Gardens – Kirkwood, Bethesda Orchard – Webster Groves, Bethesda Terrace – South County, Village North Retirement Community – Florissant, and The Oaks at Bethesda Villas – Kirkwood/Webster.