Rodney Scott Storbo

Rodney Scott Storbo

July 16, 1968 – July 10, 2021

Born on July 16th, 1968, in Calgary, Canada, the son of hard-working mother and father, unusual for the time, he was aware of his uniqueness, the innate feeling to do good in the world, dreams of glamorous life beyond his adolescent reality, and the need to be always polite.

Opportunity brought him to his dream of living in New York City, where hard times deferred the glamorous life for several years. He worked diligently in Public Relations, beginning, were most of begin, “as the new kid on the block” junior PR man on Madison Avenue. In later life, he would recall how hard the early years were in New York. Often, he recounted the story that he would save up nickels, dimes, and quarters, and once a week, on a Friday night treat himself to a coffee and muffin. It was not a glamorous life but he was “happy to be living in New York”, he would say. With long hours, working 7 days per week, several years went by and he rose within the ranks of public relations to be a Senior Vice President. Life got better.

Suddenly, he met a young, handsome, exciting, energetic, brilliant, investment banker from Goldman Sachs. Their life together was a movie and they were young, and neither of their lives would ever be the same. Photos of this time reflect their glamorous life; just as if it were a movie, it was just like a song, when he was young.

The good times did not last, the page turned, the door closed on this love, and eventually other loves entered. One day, the friend became more than a friend, and he and the friend moved to Spring Texas. They purchased their “forever” home in 2012. He was the warm, personable one of this new couple, who made friends in Benders Landing Estates. He made the forever house a home. In 2015 he became a husband and lived in Boston, MA, New York, and Spring, Texas. The years literally flew by. He traveled many times to Europe, on business, and often as a husband. Paris was special for him and where he would want to go to the most frequently. He would often reflect on his mortality but like most of us he thought he had much more time. His last vacation in Europe, he wanted to go the Venice, Tuscany, and Verona. He returned with a double tiered Murano Chandelier and the reinvigorated vitality to begin his 5th decade of life. On New Year’s 2020 he realized there was something was not right with his husband. His husband explained that a pandemic was about to engulf the world. The husband explained that it would be like in the movie of the Ten Commandments, where the shadow of death permeates everything. He prepared for the impending pandemic, as he did for everything in life, with the enthusiasm and efficient execution of a general in a battle.

The pandemic offered one lasting gift, however. It afforded him the ability to live his last 12 months of his life in his “forever” home with his husband, a new wheaten puppy, named Darcy, where he expressed his happiness to several close people, including his husband. He thought he had more time. It was not to be.

He died tragically, on Saturday July 10th, 2021 due to a subdural hemorrhage. He is survived by his loving husband, Martin Lubell, MD, his father, Arlo Storbo, sister, Jennifer Storbo, brother-in-law, Rick Barnett, nephew, Connor, and close friends which were his extended family, Scott Gray, Christopher Ducra, Jennie Kotes Nance, and Greta Guggenheim.

He was the polite Canadian, who loved all creatures, great and small, especially his soft-coated wheaten terriers, Sandy, Jenny, and Darcy. He loved life and he was a man of dignity, ethics, and honor. He was a mensch. He was Rodney Scott Storbo and the world will never be the same for those he touched in his brief 52 years. Like a movie, or the literature he devoured, his journey tragically ends; and he is placed to rest on this 53rd birthday.