Robert “Bob” Torrey Death – Robert “Bob” Torrey, of Bishopville, Maryland, passed away on June 13, 2023, after a brief bout with cancer. On June 7, 1956, he was born in Washington, DC, to William A. Torrey Jr. and Jeanne Young Torrey. At the age of eight, his family relocated to Salisbury, Maryland. After finishing high school at James M. Bennett in 1974, he went on to earn an Associate of Arts in Business from Goldey-Beacom College in 1976. He wed his high school sweetheart Donna Banks on October 8, 1977. Erin, Megan, Ashley, and Zac are their four offspring.
Who is Robert “Bob” Torrey?
Business was Bob’s life’s work. He had other companies throughout the years, but his original Happy Jack Pancake House in Ocean City, Maryland, was always his favorite. He took over Happy Jack at the tender age of 26, knowing nothing about running a restaurant, having very little money, and receiving no formal training. He worked nonstop for the full seven months that the restaurant was open each year. Many of the staff at the restaurant became like family, and all of his children worked there.
He participated as a volunteer and a member of the board of directors for the Ocean City Historical Museum and the Ocean City Downtown Development Committee. Participating in local activities brought him great joy. He had a passion for Mercedes-Benz vehicles, which his father had brought to Salisbury in the 1970s.
He had a passion for vacations, the ocean, and Jimmy Buffett. He had an infectious laugh, a generous spirit, and a penchant for breaking into “Five O’clock Somewhere” at inopportune moments. Bob is survived by his wife of 45 years, Donna; his children and their spouses; Kaitlyn, Aiden, Michael, Lucy, Timothy, and Nathan; his brothers and their spouses, William A. Torrey III and his wife Pam and John F. Torrey and his wife Lisa; and his nieces and nephews, Candace, James, Emily, and Katherine. He also has a sizable present and former professional family to leave behind. His parents had already passed away while he was little.
On June 23, 2023, from 12 PM to 2 PM, guests are invited to pay their respects at the Holloway Funeral Home in Salisbury, followed by a memorial service at 2 PM. Donations in his memory may be made to the American Cancer Society at donate.cancer.org or to the Parkinson’s Foundation at Parkinson.org.
