Beverly Jo Torok-Storb, PhD
February 26, 1948 - May 5, 2023
Obituary
Born on 02/26/1948 in Erie, PA, Beverly Torok-Storb died on 05/05/2023 at her home in Seattle, WA, after a 25-year history of Parkinson disease. Beverly obtained her PhD degree in Radiation Biology at the University of Pittsburgh in 1975. She met her future husband, Rainer Storb, a physician/scientist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Fred Hutch) and the University of Washington (UW), at a scientific meeting in 1974. In 1975, she moved to Seattle to join the UW’s Division of Hematology as a postdoctoral fellow. Son Adrian was born in 1977. In 1978, Beverly began her independent research career as a faculty member at Fred Hutch. Her work focused on elucidating the role of the microenvironment of the bone marrow, a busy organ that generates around one trillion blood cells every single day. Her insights were important to the field of blood and marrow stem cell transplantation for treatment of life-threatening blood disorders including leukemia, that was pioneered at Fred Hutch. Apart from her own science, Beverly was proud to have pioneered Fred Hutch’s Summer Internship Program for high school students from underserved communities. Having completed the Program, many students won scholarships to prestigious universities. “Dr. Bev”, as they called her, was like a mother to them, and they remained in touch with her for years afterwards. Beverly’s intellect, her indomitable spirit, and a strong sense of caring for others made her a role model for young scientists. Apart from science, teaching, and family, Beverly loved hiking and climbing in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains, a love that was cut short by Parkinson disease.
In Loving Memory
Rainer F Storb
Adrian T. Storb
Doug Torok and Family
James Torok and Family
To view a story on Dr. Storb on the Fred Hutch website, please click on the following link - https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2023/05/fred-hutch-pioneer-beverly-torok-storb-dies.html
Mom I miss you and Cricket I think truly misses you too. Dad misses you too. You were the strongest person I knew and for the most part you suffered in silence. I always will remember my time spent with you since I spent a lot of my time with you through out my life. Love Adrian
James Torok
Bev was the first real woman scientist I ever met. We both worked at the Hutch in 1975 and I was in awe of her. It is good to have a hero and I thank her for it.
I will always be grateful to Bev for her service on the Seattle Academy Board of Trustees. She was pivotal in helping us advance the science program. Her wisdom, humor and caring contributed to a sense of community not only on the board but throughout the school. My deepest condolences to Rainier, Adrian and all her family.
Bev and I met when she was in third grade, and I was in fourth. We hiked many miles together in Wintergreen Gorge. We shared high school memories of being cheerleaders.
camp counselors, and yearbook editors. Then we attended the same college and for one year lived in the same dorm. Our friendship continued through adulthood, and I was thrilled to have been able to visit her in Seattle and get the grand tour of her lab. When my husband had prostate cancer, she was there to listen and advise, providing very needed comfort. The world has lost one wonderful woman. I know I am not the only one who will never forget her.