Cherished Painting Finds New Home at Hospital Chapel

A memorial artwork honoring a cyclist's life is gifted to a new medical facility.

Apr. 20, 2026 at 12:00pm by

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A grid of brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen images depicting an angel holding a young child, the figures repeated in a repeating pattern against a vibrant neon color background, conceptually representing the symbolic and uplifting nature of the donated artwork.A cherished memorial painting finds new life providing comfort and inspiration in a hospital chapel.San Francisco Today

After the death of her brother Mickey, Wendy Kosanovich inherited a painting commissioned by her mother, Mary Ferris Kelly, to memorialize Mickey's life. The vibrant, symbolic artwork titled "Angel and Cherub" depicts an angel holding a young child. Unable to keep the emotional piece in her own home, Wendy donated it to the new CommonSpirit-Memorial Hospital in Ft. Oglethorpe, where it now hangs in the chapel, providing comfort and inspiration to patients and visitors.

Why it matters

The painting represents the profound grief and loss experienced by the Kosanovich family after the tragic death of Mickey, a passionate cyclist, while also conveying a message of hope, healing, and spiritual peace. By gifting the artwork to the hospital chapel, Wendy ensures that its powerful symbolism can provide solace to others facing difficult times.

The details

The large painting, created by Mary Ferris Kelly, features a female angel holding a young child, with a flowing red ribbon twirling around the child's finger. The angel's robes are intricately patterned in colors symbolizing spiritual perfection, healing, and redemption. After Wendy and her wife Mary Alice went through her mother's belongings, they knew the painting was too emotionally difficult for Wendy to keep in her own home, but they also recognized its importance and wanted to share it with others experiencing grief or sorrow.

  • In 1994, Mickey Kosanovich, an avid cyclist, was hit by a car and killed while riding his bike.
  • Seventeen years after Mickey's death, his father Mike Kosanovich passed away.
  • Three decades after Mickey's death, his mother Pauline Kosanovich also died, leaving Wendy as the sole surviving member of her immediate family.

The players

Wendy Kosanovich

The sister of Mickey Kosanovich, who inherited the painting commissioned by her mother after her brother's death and later donated it to the CommonSpirit-Memorial Hospital chapel.

Mary Ferris Kelly

A painter who was commissioned by Pauline Kosanovich to create the memorial artwork "Angel and Cherub" after the death of her son Mickey.

CommonSpirit-Memorial Hospital

A new 135,000 square foot medical facility in Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia that agreed to display the "Angel and Cherub" painting in its chapel.

Bonny Shuptrine

The owner of Shuptrine Galleries who facilitated the donation of the painting to the CommonSpirit-Memorial Hospital.

Mickey Kosanovich

Wendy's brother, an avid cyclist who was killed in a car accident while riding his bike in 1994.

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What they’re saying

“Christening the hospital's new chapel, this painting will provide compassion, comfort and strength.”

— Bonny Shuptrine, Owner, Shuptrine Galleries

What’s next

The hospital plans to hold a formal dedication ceremony for the "Angel and Cherub" painting in the coming weeks to celebrate its new home in the chapel and the meaning it holds for the Kosanovich family and the broader community.

The takeaway

This story highlights how a deeply personal work of art can find new purpose in providing solace and inspiration to those facing difficult times. By donating the painting to the hospital chapel, Wendy Kosanovich ensures her brother's memory lives on in a way that can uplift others experiencing grief or seeking spiritual comfort.