Theodore Joseph Mazzone was born in Cleveland, Ohio on October 24, 1958, the son of Anthony & Theresa Mazzone. Ted lived in the bucolic suburb of Walton Hills, with brothers Tom & Terry. His Aunt Virg, Uncle Joe and cousins Dee and Joe lived right across the street. Many hours were spent playing ball in the large grassy yards or exploring down by the creek. In winter they often would sled down the backyard hill and would end up in the usually frozen creek. Ted was a member of the Bedford High School marching band and took Spanish throughout high school. As a high school Spanish Class student he traveled to Mexico City – it was his first taste of international travel, and became a lifelong passion.
During his youth, the family had many holiday gatherings and in the early 1990s started a destination family reunion held every three years. The reunions have been in Breckinridge, the Outer Banks, Lake Tahoe, Mt. Rushmore and more. In over 30 years, Ted never missed a family reunion or an Ohio wedding.
Ted demonstrated ambition at a young age while working summer jobs, including one at Mr. Coffee where he met Joe DiMaggio. Ted also worked hard in school, graduating from Bowling Green University with a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting. After a short stint with a steel mill, he moved to Washington DC & landed his first Tech Finance position with DialCom. He worked days and studied nights, receiving an MBA in Finance from the University of Maryland. That led to a position with Hewlett Packard and a move to San Francisco in 1991. He stayed with HP until 2007. After a few other consulting positions, he joined the Marin-San Francisco Food Bank in 2013. His career there lasted until his retirement in 2018.
Over the years Ted made friends at HP, as well as on the Friday night CalTrain party car, skiing, at the Food Bank and playing softball — which was how in 2001 he met Randy. They spent their first date hiking and rock scrambling, and both quickly knew they’d met their perfect match. They married and spent 25 adventurous and loving years together.
Ted was also very committed to volunteer work, bringing his finance skills to the Taproot Foundation, Breathe California, and the Friends of the San Rafael Library. He also loved ushering at San Francisco’s Presidio Theater.
Ted was diagnosed with ALS on Feb. 26 just this year. Most people with the disease live from 2 – 5 years, but Ted had a rarer fast version. Only a year ago Ted, Randy & friends completed San Francisco’s 10-mile Peak to Peak walk and a 350-mile bike ride from Pittsburg to Washington DC. It was a huge shock when this August he passed away from ALS-related respiratory failure. Despite his challenges and rapid decline he continually demonstrated love and affection for Randy, and his warmth and concern for friends and family never faltered.
Ted was always a giver, whether it was time, advice, his joy for life or simply a listening ear. His smile and those beautiful brown eyes that captivated Randy on April 1 of 2001 could light up the room. Genuine, warm, committed & loyal to family and friends, that was Ted Mazzone. He is deeply missed.
