Obituary of Torsten Ingobert Rau

Torsten Ingobert Godehard Rau “Tigr/ Toast/ Macer” passed on Saturday August 5th, 2023 at the age of 30. He currently resided in NJ. Torsten was born in Princeton, NJ on December 19th, 1992 - excited to enter this world, he arrived a month early- just in time for the holidays. Torsten will forever remind us to “Stay What You Are”.

Torsten was a spirited and creative young man. He attended Three Bridges nursery school and then went on to K-8 home schooling where he also joined Co-Ops, soccer, Boy Scouts, Aikido, music making, skiing and his beloved skateboarding. His singing voice was lovely - his heart was kind. He graduated high school from Tinicum Art and Science in Ottsville, Pa. Tinicum allowed him to dive deep into his life-long fascination with reading, history, and writing, thanks to his mentor, Duncan- the only game in town. In his senior year, he was awarded his Eagle Scout in recognition of his completion of an irrigation system and raised garden beds at Wagner Farm in Warren, NJ. Following high school, Torsten attended Champlain and Burlington College in Burlington, Vermont. He was currently in the process of receiving his Cyber Security certification through NJIT.

Torsten enjoyed the many experiences life had to offer. Some of which being, the various skiing trips with his family in Chile, Switzerland, Germany, as well as The Rockies. With his love for snowboarding and skiing, he competed in the US Open 2004-2006 amateur level and Vermont open (skiing) 2006. He had the honor and mentoring of many supportive athletes during this time. He also spent his time playing guitar, skateboarding, creating art, and skiing, which sparked his interest in attending college and living in Vermont. During his time in Burlington he found his passion for the food industry. He also attended music festivals, enjoyed being outdoors as well as following the art and music scene in Burlington. During this time he dedicated many hours to the musician related non-profit organization “Big Heavy World. ”

A hard worker from early on, his first job included Chipotle which sparked his love for cooking and his later career in the restaurant world. He started at La Monte where he was mentored by the owner and proudly worked his way up to Sous Chef. He later went into work in more restaurants in Burlington, Bistro Margot, and The Rusty Scuffer. At the same time, he was involved with the family’s company, Atlantic Import and Export where he had a long-lasting career giving him the ability to apply his love for cars. From warehouse work in high school, to his current role at Atlantic spanned over 12+ years. His loyalty and vision for the company was integrated into each of his marketing, program management, and specialty products roles throughout this time.

Torsten will be missed by his beloved family as well as his many cherished friends whom he considered extended family. Immediate family includes his best friend/ dog Freyja, love Nina, mother Patricia “Trish”, father Godehard, siblings Kirstin and Kristof, sister in-law Imanda, nephew Silas, “Opa” Ingo, “Omi” Helga Wirth, Uncles Karsten and Dietmar, Aunt Marina, cousin Juergen and many other relatives including “Nana” Jean. We find peace in knowing that he is now with “Kuckoo Opa” Rolf Wirth, “Opi” Klaus Volk, “Nana” Ann Rau, along with many friends and his childhood pets.

As ‘two peas in a pod’ his godmother Patti put it well,

“It is going to be hard forever because his light was so bright…..life is just a little bit dimmer now and THAT just stings.”

“Heaven let your light shine down”……you’ll be tattooed in our hearts forever on your terms as always….

Gathering of Family and Friends will be held on Tuesday, August 15th from 4:00 until 6:00 PM at the Martin Funeral Home, located at 1761 Route 31, Clinton NJ 08809. A Celebration of Torsten's Life will be held at 6:00 PM in the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Torsten's memory may be made http://bigheavyworld.com/ or tohttp://superskateposse.org/