Angelika “Angie” Kreutzer Teresky

October 21, 1942 - November 14, 2021

Angelika “Angie” Kreutzer Teresky, 79, a resident of North Fort Myers, FL since 2008, formerly of Princeton, NJ, passed away from cholangiocarcinoma cancer on Sunday, November 14, 2021 at her home in North Fort Myers. She was born October 21, 1942 in Berlin, Germany to Kurt and Lieselott Kreutzer, both deceased. Angie was preceded in death by her brother, Michael in 1945.

Angie was born of Lutheran faith and was a lifelong person of science. She is survived by her loving son, Roy Teresky (significant other, Roseann Murphy) of Bradenton, FL who have adopted her beloved dog, Sasha; as well as three grandchildren, Camryn, Chad, and Carsyn. Angie remained close with Roy’s former spouse Lenora Derrivan. Angie was a serious person in all aspects of her life and none more so than in raising and supporting her family while instilling a strong sense of right vs wrong, dedication and persistence, tempered by a calm, understanding and supportive nature. Her steady influence on our lives will be greatly missed by all of us.

Despite a being born in Berlin during WWII, Angie went on to live an extraordinary life through academic accomplishment, personal perseverance and unwavering loyalty to family and friends. Finding, as well as forging, an uncommon, career-long professional bond with Professor Arnold J. Levine that provided the medium for her contribution to society through scientific study.

Upon hearing of her passing, Professor Levine, Professor Emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, N.J. wrote of their 50+ year relationship as colleagues and friends:

“Angie Teresky came to the United States in the mid 1960’s and in 1968 accepted a position as a research associate in a laboratory at Princeton University that was studying viruses that cause cancer. She actively contributed to the functioning of the research laboratory and participated in the research. From 1970 to 2007 she was an author of eighteen different research papers and was acknowledged for her contributions on many other publications. She contributed directly to the discovery of the p53 gene, that normally prevents cancers from arising, but when mutated contributes to 50% of cancers in humans. From 1968 to 2007 she worked at Princeton University, SUNY Stony Brook, Rockefeller University and the Rutgers Cancer Center. During this period she contributed to the training of more than a hundred graduate students and postdoctoral fellows that now populate Universities, Pharmaceutical companies and Biotech companies all over the world. She was well known in the cancer research community as an extraordinary organizer, technical contributor and record keeper.”

Beyond her professional life, Angie led a personal life of adventure and exploration. She traveled to far-reaching corners of the globe including China, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Scandinavia, and Palua, Indonesia and, most recently, Cuba. A natural athlete, in her youth Angie competed in various track & field events until being recruited to her beloved Berlin Field Hockey Club to play for the premier German national field hockey club. She even managed to see the Boys from Liverpool perform in Hamburg in 1962 prior to becoming The Beatles.  In America, she transitioned to horseback riding, obedience dog training, camping, skiing, softball, salt water fishing, motorcycle riding, tennis, scuba diving, and, in the late 1990s (while in her mid-50s), discovered her last athletic love: golf. As usual, she took to the sport and leaves behind a closet full of trophies and plaques. Much to her son’s great chagrin, she also leaves behind, not one, not two, but three Hole-in-One golf balls and plaques.

Two Celebrations of Life are being planned in Angie’s memory:

The first, at Pine Lakes Golf Club in North Fort Myers (date TBD) in December, 2021.

The second, to be generously hosted in mid-2022 at the Institute for Advanced Study, in Princeton, N.J. by Arnie Levine. Note: Angie’s cameo from Southern France in Professor Levine’s 2007 lecture “Tracking Influenza Virus Epidemics“.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial Contributions in memory of Angelika “Angie” Teresky can be made to the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association which supports research of the p53 tumor suppressor protein, a molecule that inhibits tumor development. Research of this gene was Angie’s life’s work within Professor Levine’s laboratories. Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association, Attn: Ms. Jenn Perry, PO Box 6458, Holliston, MA 01746, USA or directly via the Li-Fraumeni donation website.

Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.

Guestbook

  1. Jean Teresky Nov 27, 2021 at 9:41 am

    Such a touching beautiful tribute to a loving mother. So sorry for your loss.

  2. Sharon Rondeau Nov 27, 2021 at 3:37 pm

    I originally met Angie at the Pine Lakes pool. She was always very nice and friendly. She sat poolside always reading.

  3. Kathy McCullough Nov 28, 2021 at 9:34 pm

    A tribute that Angie greatly deserved. I will never forget the time we met in 1969.

  4. Maureen Murphy Dec 2, 2021 at 7:42 am

    A wonderful tribute to an amazing woman. Angie was a force of nature who kept the 20+ trainees in the Levine lab in order, and she did so with patience, humor and an indomitable spirit. She will be greatly missed by me and many others; in fact I think I can feel her spirit roaming the hallways of the University where I work, telling me to keep working hard to find a cure for cancer, and to always keep chin up. I never met her son but she spoke of him so glowingly and so often that I feel as if I know him: I am so sorry for your loss.

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