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Rebecca Mae “Becky” <I>Tozer</I> Michaels

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Rebecca Mae “Becky” Tozer Michaels

Birth
Death
4 May 2021 (aged 81)
Burial
Burial Details Unknown Add to Map
Memorial ID
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Becky was smart, vivacious and charming. She was a lover of music, books, current events and journalism-- endlessly curious about the world and the people around her. She was born to a large Chicago family, the daughter of A.W. Tozer and Ada Tozer and the much younger sister of six boisterous, athletic brothers. The brothers quickly came to love, and even dote on her, after some initial hesitation about how she would fit into their world. Becky's father, A.W. Tozer, was a prominent pastor and Christian author who had risen from humble beginnings. Becky married her high school sweetheart, John Pol, and her first son Lowell was born a few years later with profound mental and physical disabilities. When the marriage dissolved, Becky met her second husband, Richard Michaels, while seeking treatment for Lowell at Children's Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh. Children Hugh and Karen soon followed, and the family lived in Pittsburgh, but took two sabbatical residencies in Sheffield, UK. Becky devoted much of her time to singing with, and eventually presiding over, the Pittsburgh Oratorio Society. Becky later worked in development for a local business school and the University of Pittsburgh, before relocating to Beaufort, SC a few years after her second marriage ended. There, she worked in church administration, pet sitting and as a volunteer for the local guardian ad litem program. She loved the beauty and culture of the Carolina low country, but eventually resettled in Baltimore to be close to her daughter and family. Becky was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis late in life, but in her typical fashion, managed her disability through exhaustive research, humor and self-advocacy. Despite considerable challenges, she continued to live independently for the next couple of decades with the careful and loving assistance of her aide and friend, Martha Wood. She is survived by sons Lowell and Hugh, daughter Karen, son-in-law Jim, grandchildren Jake and Heather, and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
Becky was smart, vivacious and charming. She was a lover of music, books, current events and journalism-- endlessly curious about the world and the people around her. She was born to a large Chicago family, the daughter of A.W. Tozer and Ada Tozer and the much younger sister of six boisterous, athletic brothers. The brothers quickly came to love, and even dote on her, after some initial hesitation about how she would fit into their world. Becky's father, A.W. Tozer, was a prominent pastor and Christian author who had risen from humble beginnings. Becky married her high school sweetheart, John Pol, and her first son Lowell was born a few years later with profound mental and physical disabilities. When the marriage dissolved, Becky met her second husband, Richard Michaels, while seeking treatment for Lowell at Children's Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh. Children Hugh and Karen soon followed, and the family lived in Pittsburgh, but took two sabbatical residencies in Sheffield, UK. Becky devoted much of her time to singing with, and eventually presiding over, the Pittsburgh Oratorio Society. Becky later worked in development for a local business school and the University of Pittsburgh, before relocating to Beaufort, SC a few years after her second marriage ended. There, she worked in church administration, pet sitting and as a volunteer for the local guardian ad litem program. She loved the beauty and culture of the Carolina low country, but eventually resettled in Baltimore to be close to her daughter and family. Becky was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis late in life, but in her typical fashion, managed her disability through exhaustive research, humor and self-advocacy. Despite considerable challenges, she continued to live independently for the next couple of decades with the careful and loving assistance of her aide and friend, Martha Wood. She is survived by sons Lowell and Hugh, daughter Karen, son-in-law Jim, grandchildren Jake and Heather, and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.


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