Memorial Service for Ted Hirtz

 

Ted Hirtz was born 6 March 1936 to Viola Stamer Hirtz and Theodore S. Hirtz, Sr. in St. Louis, MO; called to the Bar in Austin, Texas, December 1963; and headed into the sunset 21 February 2022 from his home in Houston, Texas. 

At age 9, Ted’s father’s covered wagon headed east to New York, to the corporate offices of Brown Shoe Company. Ted developed a love of learning at Scarsdale High School, which prepared him to study Roman and Greek history at Harvard University, graduating in 1958. When the Hungarian Revolution began, Ted and others on the Harvard crew enlisted in the USMC; he was a reservist for 6 years. 

He met his first wife, Nancy Jane Coleman, on board The S.S. United States liner while travelling with his parents and sister, Joyce. Ted and Nancy married and moved to Stanford University, where Ted studied law, graduating in 1963.  Son Stewart was born in California, Henry in NYC, and Will in Houston as Ted began his practice of law. He was an Assistant District Attorney with Harris County before practicing with Childress, Port & Crady; with Ed McDonough; and then on his own. 

Ted never feared representing the underdog against great odds. He loved Texas and wanted to establish law regarding her eroding coastline. He served on the Historical and Law Library Committees of the Houston Bar Association. Known as the “lawyer who always wore a hat”, he retired at age 85 and worked full days until he was hospitalized with metastatic kidney cancer. 

Ted and Susan Elaine Akers met in the courtyard of Christ Church Cathedral; they married 12 June 1986. Susan and Ted enjoyed ballroom dancing at the Houston Club and the Petroleum Club. They would take off to explore the corners of the world, wandering the market in Kashgar, China; climbing Ayers Rock in Australia; chartering boats to view Komodo dragons and the orangutans in Borneo; and riding camels through Petra and over the Saharan sands of Morocco (when Ted was age 83).

Ted relished riding the Ranchers’ Ride and Salt Grass Trail with his sons and older grandchildren as well as hunting dove and quail. He would phone Henry most mornings to read the daily scriptures. In 53 years, Ted rarely missed a Tuesday singing with the Houston Saengerbund. Ted was a member of the Tax Forum, Rotary Club of Houston, and the Old Lions. He was a 50+ year member with Holland Lodge No. 1 and served on the Board of the Battleship Texas Foundation. He served as president of the English-Speaking Union and as chieftain of the Heather & Thistle Society. He enjoyed studying the poetry of Robert Burns with friends in Houston, Canada and Scotland. Ted and Susan worshiped at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church and at Christ Church Cathedral. 

He is survived by Susan, his loving wife of 35 years; sons Stewart Cochran (Lana) Hirtz, Henry Theodore (Amy) Hirtz, and William August (Krissy) Hirtz; grandchildren, Ian Stewart Coleman Hirtz, Margaret Elizabeth Hirtz, William Coleman Hirtz, Shepherd August Hirtz, Helton Ronald Hirtz, and Levi Cochran Hirtz; his sister, Joyce Ann Hirtz Davis and her husband, Steve Ilsley Davis, of Vero Beach, Florida; and his former daughter-in-law, Diane Hirtz Spencer.

Services will be held at two o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday, March 5, at Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Avenue, Houston TX 77002.  The Hirtz family requests that attendees wear masks. The service will be live-streamed at https://www.christchurchcathedral.org/hirtzmemorial