Penn Vet lost an incomparable friend and ally on December 15, 2013, when Mrs. Anne French Thorington died suddenly following a brief hospitalization. Mrs. Thorington – known affectionately to so many as “Mrs. T.” or “Mimi” – had been a client, donor, and friend of New Bolton Center for more than 40 years. Hundreds of her horses were cared for at New Bolton Center and several of her beloved Corgis were treated at Ryan Hospital.
Her devotion to New Bolton Center was extraordinarily deep and long-lived. In 1985, she made the lead gift to establish the Graham French Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a tribute to her father, whose love of horses was one of his great legacies to her. Dr. Jon Palmer, Chief of New Bolton Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Service, credited Mrs. Thorington’s insight and generosity with helping develop world-class expertise in this specialty, and ultimately saving thousands of foals over the past 30 years.
In addition to that transformational gift, Mrs. Thorington helped to establish the Charles W. Raker Chair in Equine Surgery. She also supported Dr. Jon Palmer’s neonatology research (a priority of hers), numerous other research endeavors, and student financial aid. In 2010, her generosity helped complete one of the country’s most innovative colic/isolation facilities, the James M. Moran, Jr. Critical Care Center. Mrs. Thorington was undoubtedly one of New Bolton Center’s most generous and thoughtful donors.
Dr. Dean W. Richardson, holder of the Charles W. Raker Chair in Equine Surgery, said of Mrs. Thorington, “Mrs. T. was simply a unique individual. She cared passionately about her horses and all of her animals.” Dean Joan Hendricks remembers Mrs. Thorington as “a remarkable person – strong, funny, loyal, incredibly generous, and very wise in the ways of horses.” She will be greatly missed.