Plenty of people talk about making the world a better place. Ann Marie Bick actually did it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnn Marie firmly believed that everybody has the ability to do good in this world,\u201d said her husband, Rob Bick. \u201cIf you met her, you could not help but be influenced in a positive way by her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ann Marie, mother, wife, friend, fighter, entrepreneur, advocate, motivational speaker, writer, passed away Dec. 7 from metastatic breast cancer. She was 55. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughter Taylor Stonecypher, her son 2nd\u00a0LT. Steven Stonecypher, USAF, her father Al Emmi Sr., her brother Al Emmi Jr. and his wife Ana Marie Clare-Emmi, her aunt and uncle Carol and Joseph Emmi, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.<\/p>\n
A native of Solvay, Ann Marie started AMS Models and Talent in 1999. It was one of the first agencies to use online booking, putting it well ahead of its time and helping the business to grow into the largest commercial talent agency in Upstate New York.<\/p>\n
As an entrepreneur herself, Ann Marie was a supporter of other women in business; in 2002, she helped launch the Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) Symposium, which led to the opening of the WISE Center in 2006. She served on the organization\u2019s Board of Advisors for more than seven years.<\/p>\n
\u201c[She was] always at the ready to serve as a mentor to any woman, any time,\u201d said current WISE Director Joanne Lenweaver. \u201cShe was a true leader.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition, Ann Marie served on the board for the Women\u2019s Business Opportunity Council (WBOC) and as a frequent contributor to several media outlets, including Syracuse Woman Magazine.<\/p>\n
Ann Marie was also an active philanthropist. Among the many charities with which she worked were Maureen\u2019s Hope, Ophelia\u2019s Place,\u00a0and Hope for Heather, founded by her good friend Frieda Weeks. In 2018, even as cancer ravaged her body, Ann Marie was named Hope for Heather Person of the Year for her humanitarian efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was an amazing woman,\u201d Frieda said. \u201cAnnMarie was the person who was always there for you\u2026 regardless of whatever she was going through.\u00a0Right up until the end of her journey, she was always willing to reach out to help anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ann Marie was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. After a double mastectomy and chemotherapy, she thought she\u2019d beaten the disease, but in May of 2013, just four months after she met the man who would become her husband, she learned that the cancer had returned \u2014 and it had metastasized to her bones.<\/p>\n
Rob Bick said metastatic breast cancer like Ann Marie\u2019s often overlooked in discussions about breast cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cA third of the women that get breast cancer will get metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer is terminal. It cannot be cured,\u201d he said. \u201cMetastatic breast cancer is relatively unknown in comparison to breast cancer, and it’s exceptionally more dangerous. People need to know about it, they need to be screened for it, and they need to continue to develop better treatments to help people live longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
At first, Ann Marie showed next to no symptoms. But the last two years were a different story.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably a dozen visits to the hospital and emergency rooms. A dozen different procedures. Jaundice, kidney bags, bile bags, two rounds of chemotherapy, immunotherapy,\u201d Rob said. \u201cBut even as of October, you wouldn’t really see too many effects of any of it. She was doing everything she wanted and living her life the best that she could.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was typical of Ann Marie, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnn Marie [believed] everything you do should have a positive impact,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you met Ann Marie, she’s one of those people that just made you a better person just for spending 10 minutes talking to her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rob hopes to carry on his wife\u2019s legacy \u2014 first, he\u2019ll be taking over as president of AMS Models, where he said things will continue without a hiccup for the business\u2019 clients. But moreover, he plans to start a foundation in Ann Marie\u2019s name to raise awareness about metastatic breast cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s such an ugly, relentless disease that you can’t even put it into words,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The foundation\u2019s name will reflect Ann Marie\u2019s favorite saying.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnn Marie used to give motivational speeches, and one of the big hits of hers was, why wait until you’re dying to live life?\u201d he said. \u201cYou should live while you’re living. So it’s going to be called the Live While You’re Living Foundation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, her friends and loved ones will continue to carry her with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was always there for me on every holiday, special day or anniversary to remind me that she would always be there for me,\u201d said Frieda Weeks. \u201cAnn Marie will live on in my heart forever.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Plenty of people talk about making the world a better place. Ann Marie Bick actually did it. \u201cAnn Marie firmly believed that everybody has the ability to do good in this world,\u201d said her husband, Rob Bick. \u201cIf you met her, you could not help but be influenced in a positive way by her.\u201d Ann…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99,101,4],"tags":[738,130,739,740],"class_list":["post-2209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-features","category-special-feature","tag-ann-marie-bick","tag-ann-marie-stonecypher","tag-breast-cancer","tag-metastatic-breast-cancer"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/AMS-May-2015.jpg?fit=1800%2C2700&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2441,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2441","url_meta":{"origin":2209,"position":0},"title":"COVER STORY: Rob Bick, advocate","author":"Sarah Hall","date":"June 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"PHOTOS BY ALICE G. PATTERSON PHOTOGRAPHY \u00a0 If you ask Rob Bick, his late wife, Ann Marie, was practically a superhero. \u201cShe had an extraordinary intellect, an extraordinary curiosity, a razor sharp sense of humor and a monumental sense of what the common good should be and a desire to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cover Story"","block_context":{"text":"Cover Story","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=100"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Husna-Lapidus-09.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Husna-Lapidus-09.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Husna-Lapidus-09.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Husna-Lapidus-09.jpg?fit=801%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":610,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=610","url_meta":{"origin":2209,"position":1},"title":"Being a Brand Ambassador","author":"Staff","date":"March 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Value of You By Ann Marie Stonecypher | Photography by Dan Doyle I\u2019ve said it before and I\u2019ll say it again: \u201cYou are your brand.\u201d How you dress is an absolute extension of that distinct brand. What are you projecting as your No. 1 Brand Ambassador \u2014 a mantle\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fashion"","block_context":{"text":"Fashion","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=103"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Z_Fashion-forward_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C807&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Z_Fashion-forward_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C807&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Z_Fashion-forward_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C807&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Z_Fashion-forward_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C807&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Z_Fashion-forward_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C807&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":665,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=665","url_meta":{"origin":2209,"position":2},"title":"Dressing Your Kids","author":"Staff","date":"April 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"When to Let Go of the Shoe Laces By Ann Marie Stonecypher |\u00a0Photography by Simply Heidi Photography As a mom, there is nothing more joyous than picking out clothes for your little one. It\u2019s wired into our mommy DNA. We adorn barely-there hair. We fold socks over chubby little calves.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fashion"","block_context":{"text":"Fashion","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=103"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/indikidsedit.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/indikidsedit.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/indikidsedit.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/indikidsedit.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/indikidsedit.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":522,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=522","url_meta":{"origin":2209,"position":3},"title":"Fashion Her-Story","author":"Staff","date":"February 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Good, the Bad and the Outrageous By Ann Marie Stonecypher |\u00a0Photography by Peter Levins As a lifetime lover of fashion, nothing is more fun than looking back at its best and worst. We all have our favorite fashion moments. We also have those moments we\u2019re glad predate the digital\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fashion"","block_context":{"text":"Fashion","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=103"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Fashion-Forward_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Fashion-Forward_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Fashion-Forward_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Fashion-Forward_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Z_Fashion-Forward_0317_ONLINE.jpg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":308,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=308","url_meta":{"origin":2209,"position":4},"title":"Workout Wear","author":"Staff","date":"January 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Where to Wear and Where Not to Wear By Ann Marie Stonecypher | Photography by Dan Doyle\u00a0 The holidays are behind us. 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If you\u2019re one of the many who asked Santa for fancy workout wear to help tackle your No. 1 resolution, but are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fashion"","block_context":{"text":"Fashion","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=103"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fashion-Fashion_0117_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C790&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fashion-Fashion_0117_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C790&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fashion-Fashion_0117_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C790&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fashion-Fashion_0117_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C790&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fashion-Fashion_0117_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C790&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":289,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=289","url_meta":{"origin":2209,"position":5},"title":"Leaving the Color Zone","author":"Staff","date":"January 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Color is the New Black By Ann Marie Stonecypher | Photography by Dan Doyle This month\u2019s article could be subtitled \u201cDo as I say, not as I do,\u201d as I\u2019m totally guilty of living in the dark zone when it comes to fashion. I like black and have an obscene\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fashion-Forward_0217_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fashion-Forward_0217_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fashion-Forward_0217_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fashion-Forward_0217_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fashion-Forward_0217_online.jpg?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2209"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2211,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2209\/revisions\/2211"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}