Obituary of Dr. Jennifer Ellen Tormey

Dr. Jennifer Ellen Tormey, 54, of Bangor, ME, died Monday, December 12, 2022, at her brother’s home in Waynesville, NC, after a valiant battle with ovarian cancer. Born September 29, 1968 in Bellefonte, PA, she was the daughter of Dr. Brian B. Tormey and the late Judith E. Tormey of McAlevy’s Fort, PA.

She is survived by her father Brian, brother, Blair R. Tormey and his fiancée M. Nicole Almeida of Waynesville, NC, and sister Megan A. Tormey and her husband John N. Whitaker of Alexandria, VA; two nephews, Liam B. Tormey and Brett S. Whitaker, and one step-niece Diana E. Almeida. She was preceded in death by her mother, Judith, on August 6, 2022, and her brother, Brett B. Tormey, on June 26, 1992.

Jennifer graduated from State College Area High School (PA) in 1986. She went on to complete a B.A. in Pre-Medicine and a B.A. in French Literature at the Pennsylvania State University, graduating in 1991. From there, she went on to complete a M.A. in French at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1994. She returned to Penn State in 1995 for her doctoral studies, teaching abroad in Lyon, France for a year at the Universite Lumiere, before earning her PhD in French Literature in 2000.

Jennifer’s early career was dedicated to teaching French at the high school level. Following the completion of her PhD, she taught at the Wheeler School in Providence, RI for a year before moving to Charlotte, NC where she taught at the Providence Day School from 2001-2011. In 2011, she moved to Nashville, TN where she taught at the Ensworth School until 2014, when she decided to pursue her other career passion - medicine.

Jennifer made a bold mid-career transition, completing a M.S. in Nursing at Vanderbilt University in 2016. Following graduation, she moved to Bangor, ME, working as a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with the Eastern Maine Medical Center until late 2022. During her time in Maine, Jennifer provided unwavering care to her patients, serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, and continuing to provide devoted care well into her own cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Jennifer was a student of world cultures. Fluent in French, Spanish, and German, she traveled multiple times to France, as well as England, Germany, Switzerland, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mali, Senegal, Guadeloupe, 7 Canadian provinces, and 46 states. Among her favorite trips were those where she served as a guide for her family, traveling once to France with her mother, and on another occasion with her aunt, uncle, and cousins.

Jennifer enjoyed the unconditional love of many remarkable and well-trained dogs over the years. From her first dog Kiah, who traveled with her to France and knew commands in three languages; adorable Zoe, who “couldn’t control her licker;” multi-talented Wyatt, trained in tracking, search and rescue, and human remains detection; to her latest companions Nash and Lena, who will live their remaining years on a dear friend’s ranch in Colorado.

Jennifer overcame several personal struggles in her life, and in spite of this, was a generous, kind, and devoted daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Through both of her career paths, she gave selflessly to her students and patients. Those who knew and loved Jennifer, were better for it, and she will be deeply missed by friends and family alike.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, February 25, 2023 at Graysville Cemetery in Spruce Creek, PA. A Celebration of Life will follow at 1:00 pm at the Mount Nittany Overlook Event Center in Centre Hall, PA. Memorial contributions may be directed to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition at ovarian.org. Arrangements are under the care of Wells Funeral Home in Waynesville, NC and Koch Funeral Home, in State College, PA.