Honoring LJI Legacy Society Member, Shelley Rowland

Shelley Rowland (right) with her friend, Eleanor Mosca, at an LJI event in 2021.

October 9, 2022

Join as we remember Shelley Rowland of La Jolla, who passed away this summer - another vibrant life cut short by a malignant and aggressive cancer. A couple of weeks following her passing, we learned that she named La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) as a beneficiary of her IRA.

While Shelley came to a few LJI events with her friend Eleanor Mosca, we didn't have an opportunity to get to know Shelley well and wish we had. We were moved by this altruistic act of pushing immunology research forward to benefit future generations in ways she will never see, and even more so because it was a decision that she made quietly, and without fanfare.

In talking with Shelley's friends after her passing, we came to understand from this devoted and loving group that two of her most prominent characteristics were selflessness and generosity.

Shelley's life was enriched by close friendships that she held dear, and vice versa. They volunteered at charitable organizations across the county together, adopted stray cats together, attended church together, planted community gardens together, and rallied together to support the issues and programs they believed in. Shelley even roomed with her friend Eleanor, who was right by her side when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Shelley Rowland (left) with her friends, Cathy Gin (center), and Darlene O'Connell (right)

Eleanor is a retired nurse with a keen interest in biomedical research. Together, Shelley and Eleanor learned about her disease, possible treatments, and research breakthroughs by watching webinars and searching for clinical trials. As Shelley's medical team grew and her treatment became more and more complicated to track, Eleanor stayed by Shelley's side as her medical advocate.

It is no surprise to learn that Shelley was introduced to LJI through her friend Eleanor. Together they attended events at LJI, made new friends, and learned about cutting edge research in immunology. In her final months, Shelley updated the list of beneficiaries of her estate to include LJI. While we didn't have the opportunity to thank her in her lifetime, we want to honor her and the wonderful friend she was to people, to animals, and to the causes she cared about. We are so grateful for her visionary support of a future that advances Life Without Disease.

If you have named LJI as a beneficiary in your will or retirement plan, please let us know. We would appreciate the opportunity to thank you, welcome you to our Legacy Society, and keep you informed about the research that's important to you. As always, please reach out to Clare Grotting at [email protected] with any questions.