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A year ago this week, I stood by my father’s bedside as he breathed his last breaths and with a heavy heart, bade him farewell.

Almost immediately, my mind raced through the events that would unfold as sudden changes would come to our family, a global business that employed over 15,000 associates, and over 100,000 customers, suppliers, and partners. I thought of the unfinished business and foundations that my father had purposely left open for others to fulfill. This is what he wanted, for us all to keep moving, to keep working together and keep advancing.

I looked out the window just over his bed and at almost the exact elevation, less than 2 miles away, I saw the buildings that made up the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI). Dad loved the businesses and was a master at his trade. However, HCI was his real passion. This was the dividend of a life well-lived.

I felt that the businesses and foundations had been well established and plans were in place for our future. I felt a bit of doubt as to what would become of HCI.

Following my father’s passing, I have come to learn more of the caliber and quality of the wonderful staff and caregivers at HCI. I have been able to interact more closely with the talented men and women at the Huntsman Cancer Foundation as they continue their efforts to raise money and provide a future for HCI through their 1 million plus donors. I have been so fortunate to have the trust and friendship of President Watkins and others at the University of Utah and seen their devotion, not just to the University, but to the future of HCI.

In short, my father built a great foundation of women and men who are every bit as passionate about finding a cure, caring for patients, and supporting the ongoing efforts of Huntsman Cancer Institute as he was. My father lit a flame and showed a way forward that others thought was not possible.

I am grateful for my father’s vision, but mostly for having a friend and father who I love. And herein lies the "what" that drives us today, the value of love, life, and human relationship. At the end of the day, this is what we are in business to do; to comfort, to cure, and to create that most precious gift, life, and all the heartaches, laughter, and love that comes with it.

Thank you all for making my father’s dream come to reality. There is simply no way that any of this could have been possible had it not been for each contribution, idea, and effort that has gone into creating Huntsman Cancer Institute.