Meet Science Care: Stephen Bathje

Founded in 2000, Science Care is the leading body donation authority in the world, and we set the industry standard that families have come to trust. We are proud of our commitment to the highest levels of safety and quality.

Our work wouldn’t be possible without the team that works tirelessly to ensure we honor donors’ desire to leave a lasting legacy. In this series, we will introduce you to our team so you can get to know the passion that drives us. 

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Stephen Bathje is the seventh of 10 children in his family. As a child, he held Indiana Jones in high esteem which ultimately played a role in his adventurous spirit as a young adult.

A life-long learner, Stephen prides himself on knowing a little about a lot and is quick to figure things out if he’s not familiar or tackling a new project.

While most of his siblings remained close to their parents, Stephen was the first to venture out of state at the age of 21 when he relocated to Phoenix, AZ.

Stephen’s brothers and sisters had various potentially life-threatening medical conditions in infancy and early childhood. Through advancements in medical science, each of their conditions were able to be corrected and overcome, which Stephen thinks about often in his work with Science Care. 

After finding himself unexpectedly job hunting during the Great Recession, he accepted an entry level position with Science Care not knowing it would turn into a career for him. 

“As time went on and I learned more about the organization, I grew to love Science Care and the mission,” Stephen said. “I spent all of my time working to absorb as much information and knowledge as I could.” 

Throughout his years with Science Care, Stephen occupied many different roles before leaving the company for a short duration to explore personal goals and passions. During that time away, he quickly realized that Science Care’s mission had become engrained in who he is. 

“Each day, I strive to ensure that each donor accepted into our program is placed with as many programs as possible to honor their final wishes to the fullest extent,” said Stephen.

“I’m truly in awe of and inspired by the impact each of our donors has on the human condition by advancing medical science to improve patient care and quality of life.”

When he’s not working tirelessly to fulfill each of our donors’ final wishes, Stephen spends most of his time outdoors on his ranch in Western Montana with his wife. Their property is home to roughly 50 sheep, 50 chickens, ducks, turkeys, 5 dogs, and 2 barn cats. While their main passion is caring for animals, their greenhouse and gardens help fulfill Stephen’s desire to be as self-sufficient as possible.