Dr. Anh-Kay Pizano Honored With Bench Dedication In Tampa

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Parks & Recreation honored the life and service of Dr. Anh-Kay Pizano on Tuesday by dedicating a bench that overlooks one of the lakes at Al Lopez Park, close to her family home in West Tampa.

Pizano, who suffered from depression, died earlier this year at 45 years old after taking her own life, her family previously confirmed in the Tampa Bay Times.

"I always called Dr. Anh Kay Pizano Rey the 'Quiet Force,' as she was such an extreme force of positivity within our community and her loved ones. Nothing can take away the pain of her loss, but today's bench dedication marks the perfect place of reflection for our community to reflect on and appreciate her contributions," Mayor Jane Castor said following the dedication.

"The late Dr. Anh-Kay Pizano was one of our community's most unique and passionate voices," Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera said in a news release. "She comes from a family whose story speaks so much to the greatness of our city and country. She was a woman with a remarkable woman who is missed. We will gather to honor her unique and passionate voice with respect, reverence and love."

An alumna of Jefferson High School and the USF Latino Scholarship Program, city officials said former Cuban refugee Dr. Pizano understood firsthand that higher education is pivotal to achieving The American Dream.

She devoted her entire career to education-focused positions, serving as an undergraduate recruiter, Florida College Access Network (FCAN) leader and scholarship fundraiser. In her last position, as Director of Admissions for USF’s Morsani College of Medicine, she recruited, encouraged and influenced hundreds of students. Many of those students are minorities, who are now practicing physicians throughout our state and nation.

Dr. Pizano was also a ten-year member of The City of Tampa Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Council. As co-chair of the 2022 Latinos Unidos Luncheon, she motivated members to secure sponsors with her rallying cry of All Hands on Deck, which the Council has adopted as its motto and is inscribed on her memorial plaque.

The Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Council selected Dr. Anh-Kay Pizano, a lifelong champion of educational access for disadvantaged and minority students, as the ninth recipient of its Matilda Martínez Garcia Leadership Award.