A Legacy Gift to Honor Those We Love
Dr. John Monsour, a retired professional counselor, lives in Sun River, St. George. He has led a fascinating life and has lived all over the United States. He has a passion for mental health care, has participated in disaster relief, been a regular expert court witness, and has helped indigenous people in Alaska. Dr. Monsour has also been lucky enough to find true love twice.
He has been married twice in his life. Both of his wives were very accomplished and successful women who fought cancer valiantly. Because of this, Dr. Monsour made a planned gift to the Intermountain St. George Cancer Center to honor these two very special women in his life.
Kay, his first wife, studied hard and received her PhD later in life. She was a clinical psychologist and worked alongside Dr. Monsour at their large, non-profit, counseling center in Tampa, Florida. Kay later developed cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the bile duct. Kay passed away in 2008, seven months after her diagnosis.
Dr. Monsour married his second wife, Betty a few years later. Betty had a PhD in public health and was trained as a forensic toxicologist. Betty was the first woman to be the director of the Florida Crime Lab, and was an early proponent of using DNA to fight crime. John and Betty later moved to Alaska where Betty was a professor at the University of Alaska when she was diagnosed with colon cancer.
Because Betty had a background in academia, she knew how to research very effectively. Through her research, Betty discovered the Intermountain Cancer Genomics program, and the groundbreaking work Dr. Lincoln Nadauld was doing in southern Utah.
Dr. Monsour said of his wife, Betty, “Before we knew it, we moved to St. George, and Betty became one of Dr. Nadauld’s first patients. She spent over 20 years of her career working in research labs, and understood that DNA research was the future of medicine. Unfortunately, however, after a long, hard-fought battle with colon cancer, I lost Betty in early 2016.”
“I wanted to create a lasting legacy for two special women who were blindsided by cancer,” Dr. Monsour said. “By bequeathing part of my estate to the Cancer Center in their honor, I am able to honor their legacies and valiant fights with cancer. I also hope to make a positive difference for those who may suffer with cancer in the future.”
Visit our legacy gift website to learn more about how you can leave a lasting legacy to benefit St. George Regional Hospital for generations to come, or contact the Foundation office at St. George Regional Hospital, at (435) 251-2480.