In Memoriam
John R. Hankins, M.d.
Women to the World wishes to express our condolences and sorrow to the family, friends and people of Afghanistan.  The life of John R. Hankins, M.D. will be honored for many generations. Dr. Hankins left a bequest to Women to the World in his Last Will and Testament in order that his life's work continues to benefit Afghanistan, particularly the disenfranchised, and the doctors who treat them.

This gift is an enduring philanthropic tribute to this mission and life-changing charitable work, affecting measurable positive changes in the hearts and minds of the population groups we are dedicated to serve.

An endowment can be designated to a specific country, program, or mission that will ensure your wishes are fulfilled.

Dr. Hankins was a gifted thoracic surgeon and an extraordinary United States Citizen, with an enormous love for the peoples of Afghanistan and conviction of personal service to them. It is in rememberance of him that we present a letter to our President from Women to the World Board Member, Margaret F. Cudney, eulogizing her close personal friend, Dr. John Hankins. Thank you Margaret, for sharing your letter with the world.

Dear Doris,

    Regarding John, this gift is a nice surprise. He was a very dear friend who worked in Afghanistan in the early years for Care-Medico, later at the University of Maryland hospital. A thoracic surgeon. In later years he would go for three to six month stints of time doing surgery in Kabul and teaching Afghan doctors. After he retired and lived in a retirement community outside of Baltimore, we would always take him with us to all the Afghanistan-related conferences and to Afghan-related meetings. The last time we went, around last August or September, he had failed a lot.

    He was in assisted living for two or three years after a kind of stroke.

    He died on New Years Day, a fitting way to go to be with the Lord. The funeral in Towson, near Baltimore, was wonderful. His Bible was on display there, and I never saw a more marked-up Bible. Someone asked if it would be buried with him, but the pastor said no but that it would be kept in a special place at the church as an inspiration to others.

    In some of the later trips, during earlier Taliban times, he always stayed with the Littles, and he did amazing surgeries to save lives in the middle of the night sometimes. He would be sound asleep and the ambulance would come for him. Littles would have a hard time waking him up, even to helping him tie his shoes and get full awake. Tom would drive him to the hospital, and he would proceed to do amazing six or seven hours long surgeries. He always prayed before he operated. He loved Afghans and Afghanistan.

    He was the same age as my husband, Jim, by a couple of months.

        Love,
        Margaret Cudney

SOURCE: University of Virginia Archive Magazine
John R. Hankins (Col ’45 L/M) of Parkville, Md., died Jan. 1, 2008. Dr. Hankins served in the U.S. Navy and in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Navy Reserve for more than 10 years. In 1964, Dr. Hankins became director of general surgery and of the residency training program in general surgery at Avicenna Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, training Afghan doctors. He retired as a thoracic surgeon from the University of Maryland Hospital and the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in 1990 after more than 20 years of service. He returned to Afghanistan during the Taliban insurrection to continue performing and teaching surgery until 2000.
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