News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
If a town's character comes from the qualities of its citizens, Sisters lost some of its vividness with the passing of Stan Torry Saturday, March 15, at the age of 95.
Torry lived life intensely, pursuing a wide range of creative interests and mastering new technologies at a pace that challenged those in their "prime."
"Whatever he was into, he was into wholeheartedly," his daughter, Beth Miller, said.
Torry retired in 1959 at the age of 57 after closing his addressing machine repair franchise in Los Angeles. He pursued salmon fishing with a passion for several years, spending part of each year in Qualicom, British Columbia, and the rest traveling with his wife Barbara.
She died in 1972, and Torry moved to Sisters. Here he pursued his creative interests, painting and learning to play a variety of musical instruments by ear.
But Torry did not confine his energies solely to his personal interests; he became deeply involved in the life
of his adopted community.
"He took his many talents and began contributing to the community with them," his daughter said.
Torry was a regular volunteer at the local senior meal site, a voice in his church choir, and he helped to steer Sisters toward the future while serving for years on the Sisters Planning Commission.
Torry was a forward-
looking man, and he took a strong interest in computer and radio technology. He mastered the use of his powerful personal computer, and used it for his own education and to churn out bulletins and flyers for groups he was involved in such as the American Association of Retired Persons.
He took up the shortwave radio and became a "ham" operator, serving with the local Red Cross chapter in emergency preparedness drills.
Sisters residents will doubtless miss seeing Torry out and about town on the four-wheeled cart he used after giving up his big Lincoln. But for those who knew him, Torry left a legacy of achievement and community service that demonstrates how rich a life can be when it is lived wholeheartedly.
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Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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