GWENDOLYN TORSKY

TORSKY--Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn (Gwen) Piccolo, adored wife of Robert (Max) Tanner, beloved daughter of Ron Torsky and Judi Piccolo- Torsky, and loving sister of Lara and Travis Torsky, notwithstanding her heroic efforts over the last five years, was taken from those she loved and who loved her, by metastatic breast cancer on May 29, 2020. Born on December 5, 1983 in Morristown, New Jersey, Gwen grew up in nearby Califon. In 2002, she graduated from Voorhees High School alongside her oldest and still best friend Janet Lawrence. In 2006, Gwen graduated from Bard College with a dual degree in Dance and History, after which she spent her working years in support of the arts, as an art restorer and in development at the American Ballet Theatre. Gwen was first diagnosed in December 2012, inspiring her and Max to wed in order to turn an otherwise confusing and terrifying time into an ecstatic one. By August 2015, Gwen's cancer metastasized and, in the intervening years, Gwen excelled in creating fantastic joy for herself and those who loved her, taking in countless performances of her beloved ballet and traveling to, among other places, Italy, Ireland, the south of France, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and across the Western U.S. Throughout, she remained a passionate and outspoken advocate for many causes, including women's reproductive rights and gender equality, and used her experience to help other young women living with breast cancer through her writing and one-on-one support. Gwen is loved and missed by too many to list, but they include Max, Ron, Judi, Lara, Travis and Andrea; cousins Ami, Matt and Beth; the MacLeod- Lawrences, Thompsons and Ballantyne-Sorges; in-laws Barbara, Claire and Truan; dear friends including Janet, Jordyn, Arielle, Charlotte, Jase, and the Borgies; and her "chickens". Family and friends will gather at a time when COVID no longer prevents them from giving Gwen the send-off she deserves. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to METAvivor. She is so missed.