Theodore (Ted) B. Wirth Jr.

Portland-Theodore (Ted) B Wirth Jr died peacefully in the early morning hours of April 11, 2020. He was 95 years old. Ted was born in Newark, New Jersey on December 10, 1924 to Theodore B Wirth Sr and Olga (Horwitt) Wirth. He always gave great credit to his strong-willed, intelligent mother for raising him as a single parent in an era when it was not common. He attended schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and, as World War II raged, he took accelerated classes to graduate from high school early and joined the Army in March of 1943. After basic training at Camp Davis, he sailed to England on the QEI to prepare for the forthcoming Invasion at Normandy, although none of them knew what was in store. His unit was the 116th Gun Battalion and they landed as part of the first wave on Utah Beach, D-Day, June 6 1944. Later in life, when he saw the movie "Saving Private Ryan", it enabled him to talk openly about his experience. His unit pushed on from France to Germany, then back to Belgium for the Battle of the Bulge, then back to Germany, liberating two concentration camps as the Allies advanced and the Germans retreated. He was at the celebrated meeting of the Russians at the Elbe River in Germany. He ended his service back in France, helping to repatriate Paris. He saw action in five European campaigns and was awarded five combat stars, plus the Silver Arrow for the Invasion. Although he witnessed many war-time horrors, he always spoke fondly of his service in the military. He looked on the positive side and loved the camaraderie and the adventure of it all. Upon returning to the states, he attended the wedding of his best army buddy, Bill, and met his future wife, Irene Williams, who happened to be the sister of the bride. They were married in 1947 and "Rene" was his best friend and a loving wife and they shared 68 happy years together until her passing in 2016. In his own words, "we were blessed with an outstanding son, Theodore (Ted) G Wirth and a lovely and caring daughter-in-law, Nannette (Nettie) Bowker Wirth". Rene was a great cook, as is Nettie (per Ted), and many an evening was spent around the dining room table, at one house or the other, enjoying a good meal, laughing and reminiscing, often with Nettie's dad, Roger, and Edna joining in. Ted joined Otis Elevator Co in New York in 1950 and enjoyed a long and rewarding career, retiring in 1988 in the position of Construction Superintendent. One of his last major jobs in New York, before transferring to Portland Maine to oversee Northern New England, he was the Ironworker Supervisor on the Twin Towers in New York City. He was known for his ability to motivate his crew to get the job done and for his "tell it like it is" management style. The friendships he made lasted long beyond his career....Georgie, Al and Mal to name a few. Never one to just sit around, Ted got a part-time job at West Marine in 2000, retiring a second time in 2016 at 91. He had a loyal following of customers who only wanted to shop when they knew Ted was working. He also made fast friends with fellow co-workers who were generations younger, namely, Chris and Kirk. In 2013, he took an Honor Flight to Washington DC with Nettie to visit the WWII Memorial to pay his long overdue respects to all those who did not return home from the war. It was a very meaningful experience for Ted and he ranked it up there with the day he got married and the day his son was born. Throughout his life and into retirement, Ted loved the outdoors. He tended large gardens in New Jersey and Maine fairly late into life. He enjoyed hunting and fishing with his long-time friend Joe and golf with his good friend Norm. Once you were a friend of Ted's, you were a friend forever. Due to the current Covid 19 Pandemic, a memorial service will be held at a later date. Expressions of sympathy may be made in the form of a donation in Ted's name to; Vast (VETERANS ADAPTIVE SPORTS & TRAINING) Checks can be made payable to; Pineland Farms please note in memo line "Vast" 32 Farm View Drive New Gloucester, ME 04260

Theodore (Ted) B. Wirth Jr.

December 10, 1924 - April 11, 2020

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