Dr. Beverly S. Tozer, 72

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Beverly Sue Tozer, 72, of Paradise Valley, AZ, died peacefully at the Mayo Hospital in Phoenix, AZ, on Friday, April 22, 2022, with her husband and three children by her side after a month-long fight against an acute progression of pulmonary fibrosis.

She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt, an accomplished physician, and a truly special friend to many. Her warm smile and infectious personality touched the lives of everyone she met.

A celebration of life will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, AZ.

Dr. Tozer was born in Salem on Dec. 11, 1949, to Lovell and Haney Stonecipher and was the second of six children. She graduated valedictorian from Salem High School in 1968 and became the first member of her family to go to college when she enrolled at Southern Illinois University and graduated Summa Cum Laude. As a single parent, she went on to study medicine at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine where she met Randall Tozer over a cadaver in anatomy class–a story that they have lovingly told their kids many times over. The two married on May 27, 1978, and graduated medical school a week later. After finishing their medical training in Rhode Island and Michigan, they moved to Scottsdale, AZ, in 1984 and eventually to their home in Paradise Valley, where they have lived for the past 31 years.

She practiced internal medicine for 40 years, taking four years off in the middle to get overly involved in the daily activities of her kids’ lives before they begged her to go back to work. She was most recently the chair of the Women’s Health Department at Mayo Clinic, from where she retired in 2012, although she did continue to work part-time in executive medicine until 2015. She also earned the rank of Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mayo Medical School and continued to teach up until just a few months ago. She was an exceptional and compassionate doctor who dedicated much of her life to ensuring her patients received the best personalized care, and was nominated as a Top Doc by Phoenix Magazine during her career.

However, her true passion was spending time with her family. She was the mastermind behind all of the family gatherings, which created many fond memories and family traditions. She absolutely adored all eight of her grandchildren and she spoiled them at every opportunity.

Although she suffered for 46 years from rheumatoid arthritis, she seemed to have endless energy and never let her pain get in her way. Whether she was volunteering at Valley Presbyterian Church, taking piano lessons, planning family trips, making endless detailed to-do lists, or organizing outings for her grandchildren, she always focused on the positive and never complained about her physical ailments. Her zest for life was appreciated by everyone who knew her and has given us all something to strive for.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 44 years, Randall Tozer; children, Sean (Jana) Rollinson, Stephanie (Juan Restrepo) Tozer, and Kevin (Jennifer) Tozer; eight grandchildren, Parker, Payden, Paulina, McKenna, Abby, Julián, Luke, and Lola; siblings Jackie (Frank) Shewmaker, Bob (Debbie) Stonecipher, Brenda (Doug) Byers of Hillsboro, Bill (Mary Margaret) Stonecipher, and Bryan (Kathy) Stonecipher; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a niece, Brooke Stonecipher, and nephews, Jonathan Stonecipher and Andrew Stonecipher.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations in her honor to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).