Dr. Michael André Torres

There will be a memorial service Friday, February 20th from 7-9pm at Pointe of Praise Family Life Center in Kingston, NY and the Celebration of Life funeral on Saturday, February 21st at 11am at Pointe of Praise Family Life Center as well.

Dr. Michael André Torres was born on November 1, 1962 in Baltimore, MD to his mother, Mary Childs, and his biological father, Tony Walker. After living briefly in Baltimore, Michael and Mary moved back to Kingston, NY with his beloved grandmother Ella Lindsay, who shared in his nurturing and upbringing. In 1965, Mary married Reyes Torres, Jr. from Bronx, NY, who adopted Michael shortly after the birth of their son, Mark. After 3 years of living in the Bronx, the family migrated to Newburgh, NY, then returned to Kingston, NY.

Michael grew up with his brother Mark, and years later, their siblings Melanie and Reggie. He was also very close with his cousin and best friend, Kenneth "Kenny" Bryant. It was with young Kenny and Mark that Mike developed a fascination with nature, animals, and science. Together, they would create scrapbooks and conduct experiments with Kenny's chemistry set. From a young age, Michael wanted to be a doctor or a veterinarian because of his love for animals. Together they also fostered a love for music and sports. Michael became a talented bassist and loved jazz music. He also excelled at basketball, ping pong, and was an avid tennis player. Michael's severe asthma prevented him from participating in organized sports, but did not stop him from staying active.

Faith was an important part of Michael's life from an early age. He grew up in St. Clara Church of God in Christ, where his Uncle Rev. James Childs was the pastor. He played weekly for the church, wheeling around his bass and bright blue amplifier, and visiting churches throughout the Hudson Valley. He learned first-hand about faith as he battled asthma, praying and believing that God would heal him. He'd often visit with strangers to share his faith with them.

Michael graduated from Kingston High School in 1980 and went on to complete his undergraduate studies at the University of Rochester. He was then accepted to medical school in 1986 at Hahnemann University (now Drexel University) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At this time, Michael was also on a journey to discover his roots, and at the age of 25, he met his biological father, Tony Walker, who lived in Atwater, California. He was embraced by the Walkers and developed treasured relationships with them, as he did all of his family. Michael remained fiercely dedicated to family until his passing.

In 1988, Michael married his high school sweetheart, Lynell Medley. They lived together in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia until they relocated to Maryland in 1990. He received his medical degree with distinction in psychiatry in 1990, at which point he began his residency in psychiatry at the University of Maryland. Michael and Lynell welcomed their first child, Mico, in November of 1992, just after Michael's 30th birthday. They had their second child, Ari, in November of 1996.

After completing residency training in 1994, he began working at the University of Maryland's Assertive Community Treatment Team. From the late 1990s to the late 2000s, Michael worked at a variety of behavioral health institutions providing care to the most vulnerable residents of Baltimore City. He also established the Center for the Institute of Spirituality and Mental Health, Inc. (CISMH) in 2002, where he took a holistic approach to caring for his patients' mind, body, and spirit. The center was born out of his personal experiences living with chronic illness and the importance of medical, mental, and spiritual guidance in navigating chronic conditions. CISMH was in operation through 2009.

As Michael built his professional career, he also strived to maintain his family and faith life. During their early years in Baltimore, Mike and his family attended Good Shepherd Church of God in Christ. He served on the ministerial team in support of Elder Tony Torain and was an important part of the founding and growth of the church. Sadly, after 23 years of marriage, Michael and Lynell divorced in 2011, but maintained a fierce commitment to co-parenting their children.

In 2013, Michael opened a private practice in Baltimore, which he maintained successfully through 2021. When he moved back to Kingston in the spring of 2021, he transitioned his practice to New York and worked another successful four years. In the summer of 2025, he chose to return to community mental health, serving as a psychiatrist for Family Services' office in Rhinebeck.

After decades of professional success, Mike rekindled his passion for photography. Michael's interest in photography began at age 12, when his mother gave him her Kodak Brownie camera and encouraged him to document family life. He was also inspired at a very young age by images in National Geographic magazines. Beginning in 2007, Michael devoted himself to developing his photography practice, after firmly establishing his medical career and recognizing the need for balance and a creative outlet. Employing well-honed observational skills, attention to detail, cultural competence, and a profound sense of spirituality, he explored an eclectic array of photography genres. He traveled to destinations including Cuba, Croatia, India, Japan, Puerto Rico, Romania, and Spain, capturing the beauty of the people and landscapes he discovered throughout the world. He worked extensively on a jazz photography series, much of which was captured at the Keystone Korner jazz club in downtown Baltimore, and the annual Jazz in the Valley festival in Poughkeepsie.

Michael provided pro-bono professional photography services for a variety of Ulster County-based organizations, including but not limited to the City of Kingston Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs, Harambee Kingston NY/Pine Street African Burial Ground, Midtown Arts District, the Margaret Wade Lewis Center, the Land in Black Hands Committee of the Kingston Land Trust, and Transart. His artwork was exhibited at the West Strand Art Gallery, Old Dutch Church Gallery, Union Arts, Good Work Institute, Transact, the City Hall Gallery, Deep Tanks Studio Gallery, and Lace Mill Gallery.

Perhaps his best known work was his Kingston Black Seniors exhibit, which was displayed at the Cornell Creative Arts Center in February of 2025, highlighting the elders of Kingston's Black community, many of whom Michael called family. True to his mother's instructions, Michael always made himself available to shoot family events, documenting decades' worth of family history in Kingston and beyond. Mike also dedicated months to meticulously restoring and editing hundreds of images captured by Benjamin Wigfall and Sharon Vandyke of the thriving black Kingston community of the 1970s and 1980s. Through partnership with Riverview Baptist Church, Transart and Good Work Institute, and SUNY New Paltz, these works were exhibited during a four-installment event in various locations, receiving high accolades and bringing the beloved community even closer together. For his impact in the arts, Michael received the Ulster County Executive Arts 2024 Artivist Award for Volunteer from Arts Mid-Husdon.

Michael passed away on February 14, 2026 at the age of 63 in Kingston, NY after a long and hard-fought battle with metastatic prostate cancer. He is survived by his children, Michael "Mico" Torres II and Ariana "Ari" Torres; Lynell Medley-Childs (James B.), with whom he remained close friends through his final days; his siblings, Mark Torres (Paula), Melanie Torres, Reyes "Reggie" Torres III (Alisa); his dad, Reyes Torres Jr. (Patrina); and a host of beloved family and friends.