In His Honor

A granddaughter pays special tribute to her late grandfather-and to all older adults
By Jonathan Riggs

Kyrsti Harris and her grandfather

Growing up, Kyrsti Harris learned so much from her grandparents: everything from their legacies, their love and their life experiences throughout the aging process. Determined to honor them as well as to give back to other older adults, she chose to major in the USC Davis School of Gerontology’s Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Aging, entering the School in Fall 2010.

No one was more delighted by her decision to study gerontology than her grandfather, Keith Taylor.

“He was always been extremely supportive of my choice and during every visit, he wanted to hear all about the program and everything that I was studying,” she said. “He was proud that I wanted to spend my life helping the older generation of people.”  

Taylor’s compassion, selflessness, sense of humor and overarching love for his family helped forge a special bond between him and his granddaughter, and helped solidify her goal of attending medical school to study geriatric medicine. When he passed away this year at nearly 93 years of age, his memory inspired Harris and her family to make a beautiful gesture. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the USC Davis School of Gerontology in Keith Taylor’s name.

“Since the Davis School is actively working to increase knowledge about the aging process to help people live healthier lives, it seemed like a perfect fit,” she said. “Education and gaining knowledge was also very important to my grandfather, so these donations had a personal connection for all of us.”

“The generosity and beauty of this family’s tribute deeply touched all of us,” said USC Davis School Assistant Dean Maria Henke. “The sensitivity and kindness exhibited by students like Kyrsti Harris on behalf of older adults speaks volumes for her future-and for that of our field.”

Through memorializing the legacy of a beloved grandparent, Harris and her family hope to pay it forward for other families as well.

“My grandfather lived a healthy, active and fulfilling life, and in the end, there was no specific illness-just old age itself,” Harris said. “As a family we decided that there is nothing more than you can ask for, and we wanted others to have this opportunity as well.”