- Date Of Birth: November 5, 1919
- Date Of Death: January 28, 2012
- State: Florida
Theodore J. Hetzer
November 5, 1919 – January 28, 2012
Theodore J. Hetzer,92, of Delray Beach, FL passed away on Saturday, January 28th at Abbey Delray South in Delray Beach, FL.
“He’s such a nice man.” That’s what we always heard from people about our father. Whether they knew him a long time or had just met him, people always remarked about how nice he was. He was also intelligent and had a great sense of humor, but most of all he was kind and generous.
Theodore Jay Hetzer was born in Brooklyn on November 5, 1919 to Gertrude Irene Bollmann and Theodore Jungerman Hetzer. His father was the son of German immigrants and Ted spoke German at home to his paternal grandparents until he went to kindergarten. He was baptized at St.
Ted grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with fond memories of the house on 8th Street with his parents and his sister Doris, who was two years younger. He remembers the subway being built in his neighborhood and his father taking him to meet, and shake hands with, Charles Lindbergh at the 1927 celebration in Prospect Park of his transatlantic flight.
He graduated from Dewey Junior High School in Park Slope. Sometime after his father died in 1930, at the age of 38, he and his mother and sister moved to Bay Shore, Long Island where they had a home. His mother worked at Namm’s department store and Ted graduated from Bay Shore High School.
He went on to Rider College in New Jersey. He remembers sleeping in bunk beds, eight guys to a room, and how noisy it was. After a year at Rider, he came back to New York; with his mother and sister, he moved in with his maternal grandmother in her house on Clark Avenue on Staten Island.
Ted resumed school, attending New York University at night, while working during the day. His jobs included working as an accountant for Standard Statistics and at various other companies and working in the accounting department of NYU. During World War II he worked for the U.S. Navy Department. After the war he worked for an airline that flew to South America for the Navy. After years of classes, he graduated from NYU’s School of Commerce (now NYU’s Stern School of Business) in 1948 with a degree in accounting. Very proud of his degree, he wore an amethyst class ring – Go Purple! – for years.
One of his passions was baseball and baseball to Ted meant the Brooklyn Dodgers. He went to as many games as he could and listened to the others on the radio. He was in the stands when Jackie Robinson played his first game at Ebbets Field, an exhibition game. Although four of his five children were born in the fall – during baseball season – he managed not to miss a game.
Of all the jobs he had, being a husband was the one he did best. He adored our mother and took great care of her. A typical husband of the 1950s and 60s, he worked long hours and stayed out of the delivery room for the births of his children. But he always put Ruth first and, when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, retired early to care for her. He was a role model for a good relationship and set a high bar for his children.
He filled his life in Uniondale with things that brought him joy. He was always taking photos of his children at home and in their various activities. We have boxes and boxes of slides to attest to that. He was active and loved being outdoors. He enjoyed planting and doing the yard work. His favorite sports were bowling, with a weekly league; golf, which he played as often as possible; and swimming, preferably in the ocean. He loved Jones Beach and we have fond memories of going there many summer Saturdays, with a picnic lunch prepared by mom. But he was not a camper. His son Cliff remembers his very first Boy Scout camping trip when he and Ted had packed suitcases instead of knapsacks. They were both quite embarrassed but it was the source of laughter between them for many years.
For many years he worked two jobs, at least from January to April 15th, coming home from his job in the city to work as an accountant doing tax work for individuals. When he knew people were struggling, he often undercharged them even though Ruth reminded him constantly that he had five children to feed.
In the 1950s he started working for American Credit Indemnity Company in sales. Although sales was a job some of us felt he was not well suited for, he was one of their top salespeople. And he was well liked.
One colleague from Baltimore wrote to him, “Your friendly smile, willing nature, and gracious manner have made all of our jobs that much easier.”
His boss described him as not your typical salesman. “You would never suspect him of being a salesman if you met him on the street. He looks more like a fine professor of Greek Mythology at a small Midwest college, but he sells and sells and sells.”
And sell he did, earning the distinction of top salesman for many years. Letters of praise detailing his accomplishments tell the story: Ted Hetzer is still the top man…Is there someone who can equal Ted’s record? …The only man who has scaled the height…the gentleman who has accomplished what no other agent was able to do… the sales figures have been tallied and Ted Hetzer led the entire company in new business.
He also received much praise for his presentations to the training sessions of new agents; his boss said it was ”extremely helpful indeed for the new agents to be able to hear from someone who is as successful as you are.”
Ted had his quirks. While he was working, he purchased his suits at Wallachs and looked very much the businessman but his leisure wardrobe was sometimes open to comment. In the summer he preferred old and comfortable polo shirts, emphasis on old, and he favored a yellow sweater vest, he had a succession of them, in the winter. For Christmas he always wore his red plaid slacks and bright red socks. Ted’s language endeared him to many people and included memorable phrases like “fiddle, faddle, fump” and “you old goat.”
Ted was a very generous man, giving money and time and shelter to just about anyone who asked. He was great comfort to his sister Doris and his niece Dana. He never expected the money he loaned to be paid back, and often it wasn’t, much to our mother’s chagrin. He gave money to any American Indian group that asked, and many did. He always said that we took the land from them and it was up to us to help them out. He continued to support the American Indians until we wrested the checkbook from him.
In later years, while Ruth was still able to, they travelled to places far and near.
In the 15 years since Ruth died, Ted continued to fill his life with family, faith, and an avid interest in sports.
Ted leaves five children, Judith, Linda, Karen, Cliff, and Debra; two sons-in-law, Bill and Michael, a daughter-in-law Stella, and a niece Dana; ten grandchildren, Liz, Andrew, Sarah, Emily, Elizabeth, Amy, Jessica, David, Brandon, and Jarrod; two step granddaughters, Ari and Vicki; and 11 great grandchildren, Parker Joy, Evan, Ansley, Owen, Isabelle, Beckett, Grayson, Iley, Daniel, Matthew, and Liam.
All of us will miss the twinkle in his eye and the caring in his voice but we are immeasurably enriched by his sense of duty, his hard work, and his ethics.
Ted’s last gift to us was his understanding that he was leaving this earth and he spoke to all five of his children in the afternoon before he died. It was his goodbye to each of us. According to the hospice nurse who spent his last night with him, he pointed toward heaven and was speaking to people. We feel he was telling our mom that he was coming soon. Our tears are for ourselves, not for him.
701 W. Palmetto Park Rd.
Boca Raton, FL 33486
