Francisco A. Tomei-Torres, retired CDC environmental health scientist, dies at 73
Francisco A. Tomei-Torres, a respected and recently retired environmental health scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has died. He was 73.
Tomei-Torres worked with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. One of his many roles and passions included helping to expand access to medical care and health information within Hispanic communities, his family said.
Dr. Carlos Mellado López, former secretary of the Department of Health in Puerto Rico, said Tomei-Torres helped the island secure aid and responses to urgent requests during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He got called up to New York … at the beginning of the pandemic,” his son, Tito Torres, said. “He was very passionate and proud of helping to make sure people stayed safe. He was always proud of working for the CDC and being part of something bigger than himself, helping to contribute to this country.”
In New York in 2020, Tomei-Torres was responsible for establishing safety protocols for travelers arriving from outside the United States, Mellado López said in a statement.
Tomei-Torres stopped working last February after accepting the Trump administration’s retirement offer and officially retired on Dec. 31, 2025.
He died of cardiac arrest on Jan. 12 during a hospital stay for complications of multiple myeloma, according to his family. A memorial service was held Jan. 18.
Tomei-Torres was born in a rural area of Puerto Rico, in a home without running water or electricity. After graduating from the Mayagüez Residential Center for Educational Opportunities — a prestigious school recognized for its focus on science and technology — he went on to pursue higher education.
His wife, Enid, said Tomei-Torres was deeply determined in his life.
“He went against all odds,” she said. “He fought for what he believed in. He would never give up.”
Wilson Nazario, executive director of the Residential Center of Educational Opportunities of Mayagüez alumni association, said a memorial service honoring Tomei-Torres will be held in Puerto Rico on Saturday .
Following high school, Tomei-Torres earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico, a master’s degree in interdisciplinary science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a doctorate in environmental engineering from Harvard University.
He also completed postdoctoral studies at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
Tomei-Torres married Enid in 1975, when both were 23. After many attempts to have children, their twin sons were born through in vitro fertilization in 1998.
“He often talked about how lucky he was to have the two of us,” his son Kiko said.
Both sons are formally named Francisco after their father and were given the nicknames Tito and Kiko.
“He was very proud of that name,” Kiko said. “It goes back to the 18th century. There’s been a Francisco in our family for six generations.”
During the memorial service, the twins learned of a time when their father was asked to provide a photo of himself for a presentation, and he instead submitted a photo of his sons.
“The person said, ‘No, it has to be a picture of you,’ and then he sent a picture of the three of us,” Kiko said. “I think that story encapsulates how he felt about us.”
Tomei-Torres is survived by his wife, Enid Tomei-Torres; sons, Francisco Alberto Tomei Jr. and Francisco José Tomei; sisters Eldy Tomei, Hilda Tolson, and Milagros Velez; a brother, Fremy Tomei; and several nieces and nephews.
