Dr. Margaret Elizabeth “Beth” Strow, 70, earned eternal rest on September 23, 2025 after a long, courageous battle with metastatic melanoma.

 Beth was a force of nature. A physician once told her to go home and enjoy her final six months with her family. The cancer was too aggressive, and she was out of options. For Beth, that answer was unacceptable. So, she searched nationwide for a clinical trial that would give her more time. That was sixteen years ago.

 Our tenacious Beth was born in Springfield, IL on May 22, 1955 to Dr. Wallace F. Strow, Sr. and Margaret Miller Strow. She shared her father’s love of horses and became an accomplished rider known for jumping her horse, Starmarker, over anything from fences to the occasional convertible. When she wasn’t riding, Beth forged friendships with Sacred Heart Academy classmates who, along with friends she made through her medical training, remain her closest friends to this day.

 After attending the University of Illinois, Beth worked as a nurse at Children’s Hospital of Chicago at Northwestern University. She later earned a masters in nursing with a pediatric neurosurgical subspeciality at the University of Illinois Chicago. But her journey in medicine was only just beginning. One day, when Beth tried to give a young doctor advice on a patient’s dose of medication, he told her that if she wanted to call the shots, she should go to medical school.

 So she did, graduating from the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in 1984. After exploring pathology and getting board certified in internal medicine, Beth found her true calling: dermatology. Beth completed her residency at Emory University, then moved back to Springfield to open her practice in 1992.

 She became a beloved figure in the medical community. Beth’s nerves of steel were only outmatched by her heart of gold, which gave her a unique ability to connect with patients and make them feel heard. She loved her staff and patients like her own family and often made herself available after hours to answer texts about suspicious rashes or stubborn acne.

 Although devastated by her own melanoma diagnosis, Beth used it to help more people. She wanted to teach patients the importance of serving as their own advocates in their health journeys. Once retired, Beth continued to help patients by serving as an online community leader for the Melanoma Research Alliance. She also frequently offered to help friends, acquaintances, or even strangers facing cancer diagnoses by searching for clinical trials or sharing advice from her own journey.

 The only role Beth loved more than dermatologist was mother. She married David Reid in 1988, and together they welcomed daughters, Sarah and Catherine “Cat”. When asked in later days which moments she would like to relive with her girls, she answered, “all of them.” Beth was an incredible mom who made normal days special and holidays–especially Christmas–spectacular. When she first became sick, she said that she wanted to live to see both daughters graduate high school. Beth did that and more, seeing both earn graduate degrees.

 In retirement, she discovered another favorite role when she became a grandmother. Known as “Marmee” to Sarah’s boys, Hugh and Reid, Beth appreciated every moment she spent with them, often referring to them as her “medicine.” Other favorite roles included sister to Wally, Susan, Brian, and Karen, and “fun aunt” to her many nieces and nephews, who loved wine nights with Aunt Beth on family vacations.

 In her free time, Beth enjoyed running, skiing, and traveling the world. Despite suffering side effects that would bring any normal person to her knees, Beth rarely complained and lived every moment to the fullest.

 When a force of nature stops, it feels like the whole world does too. We don’t know what we will do without her, but Beth would tell us to keep our chins up. She fought too hard for us to take life for granted.

 Beth is preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Wally and Margaret Strow. She is survived by her husband, David Reid; daughters, Catherine Reid and Sarah Reid Fletcher (Tom); stepson, David B. Reid (Rebecca); grandchildren, Wallace Hugh and Reid Fletcher; siblings, Dr. Wallace F. Strow, Jr. (Anh); Dr. Susan Stegeman (Dr. Jim); Brian Strow; and Karen Strow; stepmother, Patricia Strow; her beloved nieces and nephews; and many wonderful friends.

 Visitation: 2:00 – 5:00 pm, Sunday, September 28, 2025, at Blessed Sacrament Church.

 Funeral Mass: 10:00 am, Monday, September 29, 2025 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception with Rev. Jeffery Grant officiating. A private family graveside service will take place at a later date.

 In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Melanoma Research Alliance, curemelanoma.org

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