THEODORE (TED) MAYNARD HEESCH
12/17/1936 - 01/23/2023
Theodore Maynard (Ted) Heesch passed away on January 23, 2023, at the age of 86.
Ted was born in Rochester, New York on December
17, 1936, the son of Henry John and Theodora Kinney Heesch. During Ted’s childhood, his father, a foreign sales manager with Eastman Kodak, was provided the opportunity to live and work in a variety of locations around the globe. Ted and his family spent his younger years in Japan and the Philippines, before moving back to Rochester. His father stayed behind in Manila, and while serving on General Douglas Macarthur’s army staff, was captured by Japanese forces at the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific and held captive in a POW camp in the Philippines. The Heesch family was reunited after the war and remained in New York until moving to Mexico City during Ted’s adolescent years.
During his time in Mexico City, Ted developed a love for the Mexican people, culture and language. One of his favorite tales from childhood was that when he was asked his name, he would reply “Teodoro” (Spanish for Theodore), and it would be interpreted as “Te adoro” (Spanish for “I love you”), which inevitably elicited a giggle and enamored him to the local girls. Ted attended New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico with his brother and spent summers logging in the Pacific Northwest. Ted attended Rice University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture in 1958, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 1959.
After graduation, Ted made Houston, Texas his home for many years.
Ted married Elinor Ann Corbusier in 1961, with whom he had two children: Kristiann Corbusier Heesch and Theodore Maynard (Tod) Heesch, Junior. Ted was an attentive father following the couple’s divorce and kept regular dates with his children at the local donut shop and German restaurants. Ted will always be remembered as an innovative architect and designer, whose legacy includes numerous homes, restaurants and entertainment venues, among other projects, several of which landed him in the pages of prominent trade publications. Long-term residents of Houston may recall such iconic venues as Todd’s, élan and The Ocean Club. When not working, Ted enjoyed snow skiing, sailing, golfing and playing tennis, pastimes he would pass on to his children.
In 1997, Ted married Marilyn Cooper in Galveston. Together, they spent many happy hours on the golf courses of the U.S. and Mexico and enjoyed regular visits together to the sands and waters of Cancun. They formed lasting friendships in the expat community of Ajijic, Mexico, along with their beloved dog, Guapa, from 2012 until Ted’s passing.
Ted was preceded in death by his father, Henry, his mother, Theo, and his sister, Betsey. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; her son, Keith, and daughter, Valerie, along with their children and grandchildren; brother, Henry John (Red) Heesch,
Jr. and wife Karen; daughter Kristi and husband Robert Hill; son Tod and wife Erin; and grandchildren Sophie Elizabeth Heesch and Evelyn Grace Heesch.
Our family gives thanks to Ted’s community of friends and extended family for their support and prayers, particularly during his lengthy struggle with mental decline and cancer. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Mi Casita in Ajijic, Mexico for their loving care and filling his final days with happiness. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of your choosing. It is our hope that a memorial service will be held in Ted’s honor later this year.